
Class -JhlEJ 

■j 

Book MfS 

Copyright N°_____ 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



•Klomett Ambaaaa&nra Ahrnab 




GERHARD SISTERS PHOTO 

MRS. MILDRED S. McFADEN 
Ambassador from Missouri 



WOMEN | 

AMBASSADORS | 

ABROAD | 

By H 

MILDRED S. McFADEN == 




THE MANGAN PRINTING COMPANY 
32S OLIVE STREET 

St. Louis, Mo. 
1914 



U 2 7L\ 



In obtaining accurate historic data for this 

volume, the author has utilized the 

best authorities available 

and expresses grateful 

acknowledgment 



* 



Copyright 1914 
By MILDRED S. McFADEN 



JAN 21 J9I5 

©CI.A'393374 



2fo 

aty* ^Human's Iteptshtir 




KANDELER-REMBRANDT PHOTO 



MRS. MABEL G. LEWIS 

President of Woman's Republic 



$QXtWQXb 



To Mrs. Mildred S. McFaden, 

Ambassador of the State of Missouri to Europe, 
Governor of the State of Missouri, Woman's 
Republic : 

The mission on which the Ambassadors of the 
Woman's Republic were sent to Europe was one 
of peace and good will. Not only have you made 
permanent record of this purpose in "Women Am- 
bassadors Abroad," but you have given a most 
graphic account of your travels. 

Many will read your book simply for the story 
of your journeyings, which you have so charmingly 
told. Others, looking deeper, will see the promise 
of better things to come. 

As your narrative is making its appearance in 
print, the most disastrous war of all history is rav- 
aging Europe. Many of the noble structures of 
which you write are falling a prey to hostile troops 
and invading armies. But in this stupendous con- 
flict, which I feel sure must result in universal dis- 
armament, women, with eyes tear-wet, are, through 
sheer force of necessity, filling the places of men in 
a thousand pursuits hitherto closed to them. 
Throughout the fearsome struggle, with its pitiless 
sacrifice of men, woman's sphere will so enlarge 
and strengthen that when peace at last shall come, 
she will find herself in a new position — a position 
of equality and partnership with man in all the 



world's activities. Then, it may be, the seeds sown 
by your embassy throughout Europe will spring 
up, blossom and ripen into abundant harvest — 
world-wide peace, world-wide brotherhood in one 
grand commonwealth, knowing no bounds of state, 
or race, or creed. 

The Woman's Republic, through its Department 
of Peace, is now marshaling and mobilizing its 
World Peace Army to this end, that at the psycho- 
logical moment, it may exert its full influence and 
power in bringing about international peace, and 
with it international disarmament. 

Upon you, as historian, has rested the task of re- 
cording and preserving the meaning of your mis- 
sion abroad. You have well breathed its spirit into 
your work. 

I commend your book most heartily to all. Your 
vivid pictures of places and peoples now in the 
limelight through the daily news dispatches will 
hold peculiar interest for the general public. Many 
will read it for its wealth of information, and for 
the beauty of its literature, while thousands, loyal 
to the Purple and White, will grasp a meaning far 
deeper than appears upon the surface. I congratu- 
late you. 

Most sincerely yours, 

MABEL G. LEWIS, 
President Woman's Republic. 



Aatfjar'si Nate 



Ever since I was a little girl and used to lie on 
the soft grass and look up at the white clouds drift- 
ing fleecily across the blue sky, I have dreamed 
dreams and seen visions. Even at that early pe- 
riod of my life, Ambition had "lifted my humble 
window and come in" — for I wanted to know 
things, see things, do things. 

As the years have flitted by, and dream after 
dream has come true, I have found my vantage 
point a little higher, my horizon a little broader, 
my vision a little clearer. 

I have never "lain in the lilies" of life. An im- 
pelling force has ever urged me on to ceaseless en- 
deavor. Sometimes, indeed, when I have longed to 
loiter by the wayside, or tarry in tranquil gardens, I 
have said to myself, "I have wandered far enough; 
I will stop here." But, lo, Ambition is again tap- 
ping at my window and Opportunity stands knock- 
ing at my door; and I, like a veritable vagabond, 
respond to the one and follow the other. 

Therefore, when I, as one of twenty ambassa- 
dors, was chosen by the Woman's Republic to 
carry a message of peace and good will to the 
Woman's International Suffrage Alliance Congress 
held in Budapest, Hungary, it seemed the logical 
sequence of things — another beautiful stepping-stone 
to a richer life and greater achievement. 



(UnnUntB 



PAGE 

BOOK ONE 

Beginning the Journey 17 

BOOK TWO 

Sailing of an Ocean Liner 22 

BOOK THREE 

On the Wing 29 

BOOK FOUR 

Berlin, the Beautiful 33 

BOOK FIVE 

A Glimpse of Budapest 42 

BOOK SIX 

Vienna, the Austrian Capital 57 

BOOK SEVEN 

A Day in the Austrian Alps 68 

BOOK EIGHT 

Venice, City of the Sea 77 

BOOK NINE 

Milan, In Plains of Lombardy 97 

BOOK TEN 

Lucerne, the Heart of Switzerland 1 12 

BOOK ELEVEN 

Old Heidelberg 129 



PAGE 

BOOK TWELVE 

A Day on the Rhine 142 

BOOK THIRTEEN 

Through Winding Ways of Old Cologne 160 

BOOK FOURTEEN 

The Land of Windmills and Wooden Shoes 173 

BOOK FIFTEEN 

The Hague and the Palace of Peace 184 

BOOK SIXTEEN 

Ghent, the City of Flowers 201 

BOOK SEVENTEEN 

Brussels, the Beautiful Capital of Belgium 211 

BOOK EIGHTEEN 

Paris, the Gay French Capital 221 

BOOK NINETEEN 

Versailles, its Fountains and Gardens 238 

BOOK TWENTY 

London, the World's Metropolis 249 

BOOK TWENTY-ONE 

Homeward Bound 274 



Iwjtntuttg life 3fmtrn?g 



m 



BOOK NUMBER ONE. 

Segtmung % Jtounteg 

T high noon, Saturday, May twenty-fourth, 
the western contingent of the Woman's 
Republic Peace Ambassadors boarded a 
Pullman car on the Pennsylvania line, at St. Louis, 
bound for New York City, at which place the entire 
embassy was scheduled to meet two days prior to 
sailing for Europe. 

This embassy, comprising twenty representative 
women from all sections of the United States, was 
chosen by popular vote of the Woman's Republic 
to carry its greetings and a message of goodwill to 
the Woman's International Suffrage Alliance Con- 
gress, convening in the city of Budapest, Hungary, 
June fifteenth to twentieth, inclusive; and also to 
offer for adoption by that assembly of splendid 
women a resolution embodying a plea for world- 
wide peace. 

The readers of the Republic's official organ — the 
Woman's National Weekly — are, of course, familiar 
with the plan and purpose of this pilgrimage, so to 
speak, and while each one of us had known for some 
weeks that we would leave on this date, I do not 
believe any of us fully realized the situation until 
goodbyes had been said, bon voyage wishes and 
sentiments expressed and the train was pulling out 

17 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

of Union Station amidst the waving of handker- 
chiefs and the wafting of kisses from the dear 
friends who were seeing us off. 

The day was ideal. Mother Nature seemed to 
speed and bless our departure with her sunniest 
smiles and balmiest breezes. Soon we had slipped 
through the tunnel, passed over the Eads bridge 
and were gliding smoothly over the fertile prairies 
of Illinois. 

Each of us felt little heart-throbs of tenderness 
going out to the loved ones we were leaving be- 
hind, but these emotions were kept bravely under 
control through the realization of the high mission 
with which we had been entrusted and honored. It 
was readily seen that the whole party was a unit 
in its desire to carry out the purposes and ideals 
which inspired the undertaking. 

After a delightful luncheon, served in the dining 
car, tables were placed in the various sections, and 
letters to the "home folks" were written and 
handed off at every stopping place. We had an 
entire Pullman to ourselves and could, therefore, 
visit informally as we flitted over the broad wheat 
fields of Illinois and the vast corn fields of In- 
diana. We reached Indianapolis just as the set- 
ting sun was gilding the dome of the capitol build- 
ing with departing rays of golden glory. 

The strenuosity of getting ready for this journey 
was telling a little on the most of us. It was scarcely 
dark when one of the ladies asked if we might 

18 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

have our berths made up. "Suttenly," said the big 
ebony-skinned porter ; "you can't have 'em made up 
too soon to suit me. That's what I likes about the 
ladies; they's always ready to go to bed early, and 
don't want to sit up and smoke all night." 

We retired with the mental reservation that we 
would sleep just as long as we wanted to the next 
morning. But a peep at early dawn from the win- 
dows of our berths dispelled any inclination to re- 
main in bed. Nature was spreading out her won- 
derful pictures in a way that could not be resisted. 
As we sat at breakfast we enjoyed a double feast — a 
feast of body and a feast of soul — and while we 
enjoyed the material food spread so appetizingly 
before us, we enjoyed even more the ever-shifting, 
ever-charming panorama of natural beauty revealed 
through the wide windows of the diner. 

After breakfast we assembled in the observation 
car to better enjoy the beautiful scenery. Surely 
it was a picture to gladden the heart of the artist, 
and inspire the soul of the poet. Nor is it to be 
wondered that we soon exhausted all the adjectives 
at our command. Vistas of rare beauty, nestled 
within the verdure-clad mountains, unfolded them- 
selves at every turn of the road as it follows the 
sinuous bends and turns of the winding Susque- 
hanna. Occasionally a picturesque village re- 
vealed itself snuggled within a sheltered valley, 
while a spirit of peace and rest seemed brooding 
everywhere. 

19 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

The crowning bit of scenic charm, however, 
hovered about the wide-famed Horseshoe Curve — a 
portion of the road which, as its name indicates, 
forms a horseshoe. It is double-tracked and, as 
our train wound around it, a long freight train was 
passing in the opposite direction, making a well- 
nigh complete semi-circle of cars. As a feat of en- 
gineering skill the Horseshoe Curve compares fa- 
vorably with the Georgetown Loop in Colorado. 

The entire trip from St. Louis to New York was 
made with comfort and pleasure. Indeed, it is one* 
of the joys and privileges of our twentieth century 
civilization that women today may travel across 
the continent as luxuriously housed and as securely 
protected as in the seclusion of their own homes. 
When we reached our nation's biggest city Sunday 
afternoon the sun was still shining and the wind 
still balmy. Arrangements for our entertainment 
had been provided for in advance. In a few min- 
utes after we arrived at the Pennsylvania station 
a string of taxicabs was unloading us at Hotel 
Cumberland, which hostelry took most excellent 
care of us. 

Twenty-four hours after our arrival in New 
York, Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Lewis were with us, 
coming from University City to see us off. Mon- 
day night Mr. Lewis gave a most interesting and 
inspiring talk to the ambassadors in the drawing- 
room of our suite. Tuesday was set apart for 

20 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

sight-seeing, and, between times, the ladies in- 
dulged in a little final shopping. 

A delightful banquet was served Tuesday even- 
ing at six o'clock in the Cumberland dining-room, 
with covers laid for twenty-two. Later the same 
evening Mrs. William Grant Brown, Ambassador 
from New York City, entertained in honor of Mr. 
and Mrs. Lewis and the embassy. Though in- 
formal, the reception was brilliant and beautiful. 
Mrs. Brown, who had just closed her term of office 
as the president of the New York City Federa- 
tion of Women's Clubs, is a gracious and charming 
woman. She moved about amongst her guests in 
a way that made each one feel that she was receiv- 
ing especial attention. 

Wednesday morning at ten o'clock, after having 
been photographed in the lobby of the Cumber- 
land, we entered taxis and were whirled away to 
the Brooklyn pier, where the good ship Pretoria 
was lying at anchor, with banners flying and bands 
a-playing, ready to bear us away over the deep 
blue sea. 



21 




BOOK NUMBER TWO 

bailing nf an (§tmn ICitt^r 

HE sailing of an ocean liner is fraught with 
deep human interest. In this respect the 
Pretoria was not an exception. All was 
bustle and confusion incident to the vessel's de- 
parture. The decks were already thronged with 
outgoing passengers when we, the Peace Ambas- 
sadors of the Woman's Republic, stepped from our 
taxicabs, crossed the gang-plank and entered the 
good ship which was to carry us away over the 
bounding billows. 

Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Lewis, together with many 
other friends, were there to see us off, Mr. Lewis 
taking particular pains to be sure that every piece 
of baggage was on board and that everything was 
arranged for our comfort and pleasure. 

The leave-takings of ocean voyagers are not ex- 
periences of unalloyed delight; therefore, we will 
not dwell upon them. Soon "good-bye and bon 
voyage" had been said to all on board, and promptly 
at one o'clock, May twenty-eighth, the Pretoria 
slipped from her moorings at Brooklyn pier and, 
escorted by busy, puffing little tugs, passed out 
of the harbor and turned her nose toward the open 
sea. 

22 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

A drizzling rain was falling, but all stayed on 
deck waving farewells until the "sea of upturned 
faces," wistful eyes and fluttering flags, scarfs and 
handkerchiefs of friends on shore faded away in 
the distance. Soon the Statue of Liberty, Coney 
Island and other interesting things were lost in the 
mists, and the bugle-call announced the serving of 
luncheon. 

Feasting is an important part of an ocean trip. 
Breakfast begins at half-past seven; bouillon is 
served on deck at half-past ten ; luncheon at noon ; 
tea, coffee and chocolate between three and four, 
and a six-course dinner at six o'clock. With ap- 
petites sharpened by the salt sea breezes, one is 
always ready to do ample justice to the chef who 
presides over the department of the interior. 

The Pretoria was in gala dress when she left 
New York. There were flowers, flowers every- 
where, which made the ladies' cabin and the main 
dining-room bowers of bloom and beauty. 

The first afternoon out we settled ourselves 
snugly in our staterooms and, through the efficient 
management of Mrs. Ida L. Frint, Ambassador 
from Illinois, who was fondly mothering us all, our 
deck chairs were located and labeled, steamer rugs 
provided, and we found ourselves in a sheltered 
part of the deck, with a charming view of the sea. 

My! but the sea is glorious! As full of moods 
as the most capricious woman. Sometimes it 
would bear us along with gentle, undulating swells, 

23 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

then, as if by magic, the "white horses" — as Kip- 
ling so aptly terms the snowy breakers — would 
come out rearing and tumbling and plunging in a 
perfect revel of mad delight. At an early hour our 
first night on board, we sought our berths and, 
"rocked in the cradle of the deep," we slept like 
tired children upon the pulsing bosom of the 
mighty Atlantic. 

When we were twenty-four hours out of New 
York, this message, by wireless, came winging over 
the distance: 

"God speed you all." — Lewis. 

I am sure this desire was granted even before it 
found expression, for our lines were falling in 
pleasant places and we were receiving every cour- 
tesy and consideration we could expect or wish for, 
while, best of all, the spirit of harmony prevailed 
in our own ranks. Indeed, Mrs. William Grant 
Brown, Ambassador from New York, voiced the 
sentiment of the entire embassy when she sug- 
gested that the first disgruntled woman amongst 
us be "thrown overboard." 

Several of our party paid unwilling tribute to the 
sea, but the others, including the writer, proved ex- 
cellent sailors and were not ill at all. 

Friday evening Dr. Belva A. Lockwood, Dean 
of the embassy, called a meeting of the ambassa- 
dors at which she presided. After the reading of 
the one hundred and twenty-third psalm and a 
word of prayer by Rev. Edith Hill-Booker, Dr. 

24 




MRS. CLAUDIA HAZEN WHITE 

Secretary of Interior, Woman's Republic 



- 


— — 




. 




% 


% pi 


*% x 



MRS. M. E. JENKINS 
Ambassador from California 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Lockwood read a letter from Alfred H. Love, ex- 
President Universal Peace Union. Extracts from 
same are here given : 

"The present is a most opportune time for the 
proposed journey and mission. The public ear is 
open to hear. The hearts of all are ready to accept 
the truth, and the spirit of peace is universal. 
Hence you go at the right time, with the highest 
aspirations and a zeal crowned with faith. You 
will be blessed with the conviction that you are 
acting under divine authority. 

"Let us recommend and plead for a permanent 
court of justice and arbitration to be in continuous 
session at The Hague, with the supreme authority 
of acting for all nations, at all times and on all sub- 
jects, composed of three representatives from each 
and every government, the decision of this court to 
be final and sustained by public opinion. 

"Let there be implicit sincerity and observance 
of treaties that may be made. They shall be espe- 
cially impartial, non-partisan, unsectarian and, wher- 
ever possible, entered into by both men and women. 

"Let the composition and the compensation of 
such representatives be fixed and the terms for 
holding office be decided by each government so 
represented. 

"Your mission should cover the demand for stop- 
ping the increase of the army and war navy. No 
more battleships; no more military training; no 
more conquest of territory; no more sham battles, 

25 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

or voyages around the world of dreadnoughts or 
inventions of death-dealing agencies, under the wa- 
ters or above the earth. 

"My prayers go with you and for you, in this 
great undertaking. It will be the crown of your 
lives. 

"You are fulfilling a message from Heaven : 'Fol- 
low after those things which make for peace.' Carry 
with you my high appreciation of woman's influ- 
ence and present my sincere affection not only to 
your devoted band, but to those abroad, who may 
know of you and their assured friend and uncom- 
promising advocate of peace." 

Members were called upon (and responded) to 
express, individually, thoughts and ideas relative 
to our mission abroad. Greetings and Godspeeds 
were read from various clubs and members of the 
Woman's Republic. 

We indeed felt that the best thoughts of thou- 
sands were attending us ; and we realized that, 
whosoever might be the reapers, we were going 
forth as sowers of the seeds of peace and good will 
toward all the world. 

Another letter read at this meeting was from the 
Northern California Peace Society. It follows, in 
part: 

"You are hereby authorized to convey the most 
cordial greetings of the Peace Societies of Califor- 
nia to our esteemed friends and brethren of the 

26 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

peace movement in all cities and countries that you 
may visit in your journey. 

"Tell them we want their help in organizing such 
a crusade for international arbitration and good 
will that the golden era of Universal Peace may be- 
gin in the 'Federation of the World' at the 'Golden 
Gate' (San Francisco) in 1915." 

Another meeting was held Saturday evening, at 
which it was decided to give a short program along 
the line of our endeavor, that the women on board 
might become acquainted with our plans and un- 
dertakings. The silk American flags presented to 
the ambassadors by Mr. Lewis were distributed at 
this meeting. 

All days are very much alike on board ship when 
conditions are normal. Meals are served with un- 
varying punctuality; the band plays at stated 
hours ; the utmost order and discipline prevails, and 
one readily falls in with the general routine. 

Sunday morning religious service in German was 
held in the main dining-room, at which time it 
was announced that Rev. Edith Hill-Booker, Am- 
bassador from Oregon, would hold similar service 
in English in the evening. This was done. Every 
seat was occupied and the most profound and re- 
spectful attention was shown that earnest evangel- 
ist. Immediately following this service Dr. Lock- 
wood gave a short, impressive peace talk which 
was well received. This, in turn, was followed by 
a musical program delightfully rendered by the 

27 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

ship's orchestra, supplemented by fine vocal talent 
from fellow passengers. 

Sunday afternoon an air of mystery and expec- 
tancy seemed to pervade our section of the deck. 
Dr. Lockwood had previously indicated that she 
had a little "remembrance" for us, which would be 
forthcoming when "all hands" were able to be on 
deck. This was the propitious time, as each am- 
bassador was in her steamer chair. The mysterious 
package was opened and proved to be a ten-pound 
box of Huyler's delicious chocolates. This dainty 
gift, with its message of love, came from Miss Eliz- 
abeth Ashburner of New York City, in behalf of 
the Margaret Tucker Club of the Woman's Repub- 
lic. 

Although we were now nearing mid-ocean, we 
did not feel that deep sense of isolation that one 
might imagine. Ships passed us every day, sending 
us greetings by wireless, and through the same 
wonderful medium of communication we received 
each day brief mention of the world's doings. 

It is indeed marvelous that we may sail placidly 
on, day after day, over the trackless main, bounded 
only by the far-off horizon's rim, and yet keep our 
fingers on the throbbing pulse of the world ! The 
more I contemplate the tremendous progress of sea 
navigation since Columbus — that intrepid naviga- 
tor, with his tiny craft and mutinous crew — braved 
the unknown terrors of unknown seas, the more do 
I realize and appreciate the glory of the wonderful 
age in which we are living. 

28 




BOOK NUMBER THREE 

(§n % Wing 

'CLOSED the foregoing book in mid- 
ocean. During the remainder of our voyage 
the winds and the waves were on their good 
behavior. The spirit of peace seemed ever present. 
Even the English Channel received us most kindly, 
and hushed its turbulent roar to a soft crooning lul- 
laby that banished any sense of fear which might 
have lurked in the soul of some timid voyager. 

The North Sea, too, that tempestuous body of 
water dreaded, more or less, by all trans-Atlantic 
travelers, though it maintained its reputation for 
roughness, was simply magnificent ! The billows, 
snowy-crested, swelled into miniature mountains, 
yet the sun shone gloriously and the water was 
blue as a robin's egg. 

For me it was real joy to stand at the rail of the 
forward deck and watch the restless roll of the 
sea ; to note the rhythmic rise and fall of the ship 
as she ploughed her way through riotous waters, 
and to feel the keen sting of salty spray in my face 
as the mad breakers lashed themselves into foam- 
ing fury against the sharp bow of the ongoing 
vessel. 

One evening a dense fog settled down over the 
sea, and it looked like we might be in for an un- 

29 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

comfortable night. There is nothing more dreaded 
by seafaring men than fog. We fancied we could 
detect a feeling of anxiety on the part of the offi- 
cers and crew. The ship was made snug, the life- 
boats made ready to lower, while the fog horn was 
kept blowing almost incessantly. But here again 
fortune was propitious, and by the time we were 
ready to "turn in" the fog had lifted, the stars came 
out and the new moon hung like a silver crescent in 
the western sky — and all was well. 

The next day — Sunday — dawned bright and 
beautiful. It was our last day out, and at two 
o'clock we got the first sight of land. I must say 
the land looked mighty good to us, so we spent the 
remainder of the afternoon out on the forward deck, 
our glasses focused upon the many interesting 
sights along the way. A few ships had passed us 
each day, but here, owing to the convergence of 
the waters, the sea was dotted with all kinds of 
craft — steamships, freighters, sailboats, fishing 
smacks — giving us some slight indication of the 
vast commerce of the mighty deep. 

There was no feeling of monotony on the Pre- 
toria. It was like a large house party of congenial 
guests, all having a good time. Shuttle-board, 
quoits and other games lured many passengers to 
the lower decks during the day, and the evenings 
were given over to music, dancing, bridge and so- 
ciability generally. Our own party, assisted by the 
ship's orchestra and a few fellow-passengers, gave 

30 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

an interesting program one evening, at which each 
one had opportunity to display any special talent or 
accomplishment she possessed. A member of our 
party presided, and did it most graciously. 

One thing very noticeable and very gratifying 
was the courtesy we received. At all functions on 
board our flag and our melodies had conspicuous 
place. So impressed were we by the marked at- 
tention shown us, that we wrote a letter of thanks 
to the captain. This was signed by the ambassa- 
dors, and the last day out a delegation of us waited 
on him and presented the letter. In behalf of the 
embassy I expressed our appreciation of the uni- 
form kindness extended us, and the sense of safety 
and security we had felt all the way. 

The captain, responding, declared he had only 
done his duty and deserved no thanks. "The Pre- 
toria," he said, "is only a snail of the sea, but she is 
safe. I have brought you over in safety, and if you 
will return with me I will take you home safely." 

That night the "Captain's Dinner" — a splendid 
banquet — was served. The decorations were pro- 
fuse, the good cheer abundant, and the favors most 
unique. 

The next morning, June eleventh, we landed at 
Cuxhaven. As we went ashore we noticed the 
splendid new Hamburg-American liner, the Im- 
perator, lying at anchor far out in the harbor, the 
gray smoke curling in airy rings from her great 

31 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

funnels. She was about to begin her maiden voy- 
age across the sea. 

Here we were met by our conductor, Mr. Sol- 
bach, from the Cook Agency, who took immediate 
charge of us. Our baggage was inspected, after 
which we entered the train awaiting us, and pro- 
ceeded to Hamburg, where we had luncheon, and 
from there went direct to Berlin. 

If I were asked to express in fewest words the 
characteristics of Germany, I would answer: 
"Thrift and conservation." These were in evidence 
from the moment we left Cuxhaven. Such perfectly 
tilled fields I had never before seen — every foot of 
ground utilized, gardens and orchards creeping up 
to the very doorways, and even the railroad right- 
of-way (which belongs to the government) planted 
to fruits and vegetables. I am sure if such inten- 
sive farming were done in the United States, and 
every acre of ground thus brought into its highest 
productiveness, we could feed the world! 



32 




BOOK NUMBER FOUR 

Iterittt, ilje l^autiful 

JE were fortunate in visiting Berlin at the 
time we did. The festivities in connection 
with the nuptials of the Kaiser's beautiful 
young daughter, Princess Victoria Louise, had just 
closed, and preparations for the jubilee in honor of 
the twenty-fifth year of the reign of the Emperor- 
King Wilhelm II were nearing completion. The 
city, therefore, was in gala attire and we saw it at 
its best. 

What a delightful city Berlin is! — an object les- 
son in civics that any American municipality might 
study to advantage. Beautifully situated on the 
River Spree, built along broad and liberal lines, na- 
ture and art contributing their best in the way of 
adornment, the result is a splendid metropolis 
which appeals to both the practical and to the aes- 
thetic side of one's nature. 

The very atmosphere seems uplifting and inspir- 
ing. One does not wonder that students of mu- 
sic, literature and science from all parts of the 
world should hear and heed the call of Berlin. 

We reached this capital city of the German Em- 
pire late in the afternoon of June eleventh, and 
were soon comfortably settled at Hotel Monopole. 
Our rooms were big and inviting, especially the 

33 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

luxurious beds, with their comforts of softest down, 
which we were a trifle loath to leave the next 
morning, even for a day of wonderful sight-seeing. 
After the typical continental breakfast of eggs, 
rolls, butter, marmalade, honey and coffee, served 
in an artistic dining-room, the whole party entered 
a mammoth sight-seeing automobile and started 
out to "do" Berlin. 

Our program for the forenoon was a trip to 
Charlottenburg. Soon we had been photographed 
in our big machine and were spinning along the 
world-famous thoroughfare, Unter den Linden. 

At the head of this street stands an imposing 
equestrian statue of Frederick the Great. This 
fine monument, designed by Rauch, is more than 
forty feet in height. The immense pedestal depicts, 
in splendid bas relief, scenes from the great King's 
life, together with many symbolical figures ; also 
figures of contemporary princes, generals, poets 
and philosophers. 

This monument, like many others, recalls his- 
toric events. We thought of the Seven Years' 
War and of Maria Theresa, that great ruler of Aus- 
tria, who could never as long as she lived reconcile 
herself to the fact that she was forced to surrender 
her beloved province of Silesia to "that little in- 
significant King of Prussia," as she disdainfully 
termed this Prussian monarch. 

Berlin, however, owes much to Frederick the 
Great. He caused the erection of many costly 

34 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

buildings by noted architects, including the famous 
Royal Opera House. He converted the Tiergarten, 
an erstwhile game preserve, into a public park and 
presented it to the city, while his kindly attitude 
and generous patronage in connection with art, 
music and letters drew a brilliant coterie of men of 
giant intellects to Berlin — men whose names, fame 
and influence are forever inseparable from the prog- 
ress and culture of the city. 

Unter den Linden is wide and beautiful. Its 
walks and driveways are adorned with double rows 
of perfectly-shaped linden trees, and flowers are 
everywhere. Geraniums seem to be the favorite 
blossoms. Great boxes of these, in glowing colors, 
with trailing greenery, adorn the window-balconies 
from snowy pavement to red-tiled roof, crown the 
lamp posts, climb the bodies of the trees and bor- 
der the walks all along the way, interspersed now 
and then with immense clumps of gorgeous hy- 
drangeas. 

No billboards are allowed on the streets of Ber- 
lin. At certain intervals large circular columns 
with ornamental crowns have been erected, and on 
these appear such advertisements as are permissi- 
ble. This, it seems to the writer, might satisfac- 
torily solve a very vexing problem in American 
civics. 

The route to Charlottenburg is literally lined 
with objects and places of interest. We paused a 
few moments at Konigs Platz. This is a handsome 

35 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

square occupied on one side by the House of the 
Imperial Diet — an exceedingly beautiful structure 
in Italian Renaissance. From the center of the 
square rises the stately Column of Victory. The 
broad pedestal of this famous monument portrays, 
in wonderful relief-work, scenes from the Franco- 
Prussian War, and is surmounted by a colonnade 
adorned with mosaics executed by Salviati. Above 
this colonnade the column is surrounded by three 
tiers of gilded cannon taken from the Danes, the 
Austrians and the French. 

The whole is crowned by a jubilant winged Vic- 
tory in gold ! There is an observation tower at the 
top of the shaft. 

Much of our way led along the Tiergarten, with 
its great trees, flowers and statuary. We passed a 
magnificent monument erected in honor of Richard 
Wagner. The figure, of pure white marble, was 
brought into bold relief by the dense green foliage 
about it. We took personal pleasure in this fitting 
tribute to a man whose marvelous genius has made 
the whole world richer and sweeter. 

Here, too, the sculptor had wide range in per- 
fecting his work, and has brought into telling ef- 
fect leading characters from the great musician's 
operas — Siegfried, Tanhauser and others. 

Many statues have been erected in Berlin to mu- 
sicians, poets, scientific men and men of letters, as 
well as to men of war — Humboldt, Goethe, Schiller, 
Heine, Moltke, Bach, Mozart, Handel, Hayden 

36 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

and numerous others whose names are among the 
immortals. Indeed, the beautiful Avenue of Vic- 
tory is lined on both sides with statues of men who 
have left their impress on the history and develop- 
ment of Germany. 

Arriving at Charlottenburg, we left the automo- 
bile and walked along a shady, gravel road, through 
a beautiful wood, to the royal mausoleum. We 
quietly and reverently entered this silent resting 
place of illustrious dead. There was, however, no 
depressing sense of gloom. The sunlight filtered 
in through a window of art glass and lay in a 
prism of color on the marble floor, while inspiring 
texts on the walls told their stories of life tri- 
umphant over death ! 

Here lie, in imposing sarcophagi, the remains of 
Queen Louise and her husband, Frederick William 
III, great-grandparents of the present ruler of Ger- 
many. It was here, in 1870, at the tomb of Queen 
Louise, that William of Prussia and that great man, 
Bismarck, known as the Iron Chancellor, came to 
kneel down and pray, before the king left for the 
campaign in France. William left the mausoleum 
as King of Prussia. He returned, a few months 
later, as Emperor of United Germany. 

Both tombs bear full-length sculptures of their 
royal occupants, masterpieces in marble by the fa- 
mous sculptor, Rauch. 

There seems a peculiar fitness in the fact that 
these beautiful sculptures are the work of Rauch, 

37 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

for it was through the generosity of Frederick Wil- 
liam III, who recognized his genius, that the artist 
was enabled to go to Rome and complete his studies 
under the old Italian masters. As a consequence, 
all Berlin is more beautiful. 

Here again our thoughts reverted to history and 
we realized anew that there may be thorns as well 
as roses in the pathway of a queen. 

As we looked on the chiseled face of Queen 
Louise, so peaceful-looking in its last repose, we 
remembered her eventful and well-nigh martyred 
life. We could see her fleeing from her palace, 
seeking refuge in remotest parts of her kingdom, 
before the advancing troops of Napoleon. 

She was one of the most beloved queens of all 
Europe, and tradition says she died of a broken 
heart caused by the extreme humiliation to which 
her country was brought by that seemingly in- 
vincible man from France, the First Napoleon. Tra- 
dition further declares that a post-mortem exami- 
nation revealed a polypus on her heart bearing a 
distinct letter N. As we thought of the destiny 
that placed this idol of her people in the way of a 
would-be world conqueror, we could only sigh, 
"Poor Louise!" 

It was high noon when we took our places in the 
automobile and were whirled along the splendid 
Avenue of Victory, through the Brandenburg 
Gates, to Unter den Linden and back to the hotel. 

As we paused a moment at the Brandenburg 

38 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Gates to admire the beautiful chariot of victory, 
once confiscated and carried away by Napoleon, a 
scene of a century ago flashed before our mental 
vision. We could see that quiet schoolmaster, Fa- 
ther Jahn, and his schoolboys gazing upon those 
classic columns despoiled of their art treasure, and 
across the sun-kissed noonday there seemed to 
float the teacher's inspiring message to his pupils: 
"It is for you, my boys, to help bring back that 
Victory from Paris and replace it on your own 
triumphal arch." It is there now. The world real- 
izes today, as never before, that ideals, not arms, 
must break the bondage of mesmerism and free hu- 
manity from oppression and despotism. 

After luncheon we set out again — this time to 
the Royal Palace. What a magnificent place it is ! 
We had an excellent special guide, who led us up 
long flights of winding stone steps to the main en- 
trance-hall of the building. Here we were provided 
with soft felt slippers to put on over our street 
shoes for the protection of the mirror-like floors. 
These slippers were not of the Cinderella variety, 
but must be the kind that good old Mother Goose 
had in mind when she was singing about the "old 
woman who lived in a shoe." Like Cinderella, 
however, we frequently lost our slippers ; but in- 
asmuch as there were no infatuated Prince Char- 
mings around to pick them up, we did not "flee as 
a bird" down the winding stairs to a fairy carriage 
in waiting, but simply shuffled our feet into them 

39 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

again and glided along after our guide as grace- 
fully as we could. 

We were conducted from room to room, each 
one teeming with historic interest; from gallery to 
gallery whose wonderful canvases portray in 
matchless form and color the art, history, progress 
and triumphs of the German Empire. 

But, with all the splendor pervading these gor- 
geous salons, there is a sense of "hominess/- a feel- 
ing of human interest. This feeling was accen- 
tuated as we traversed the great drawing-rooms 
which revealed a nearer glimpse of the home-life of 
the royal family. 

A full-length portrait of the late King Edward 
VII and a fine marble statue of his royal mother, 
Queen Victoria, reminded us that the Kaiser is a 
grandson of Queen Victoria, and that practically 
all the rulers of Europe are kinfolks. 

When we stood at the altar where the emperor's 
young daughter, Princess Victoria Louise, had so 
recently been given in marriage, we recalled the 
Kaiser's fondness for her, and remembered his say- 
ing: "She sometimes forgets that I am the Kaiser, 
but she never forgets that she is the Kaiser's daugh- 
ter." 

From the palace we went to the armory, or ar- 
senal. Here we had a glimpse of the evolution of 
firearms, from the most primitive weapons of de- 
fense to the deadly Gatling guns and other "last 
words" in murderous twentieth century arma- 

40 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

ments. Nor does it take long to recognize the fact 
that the spirit of militarism dominates Germany. 

From the armory we went to the Kaiser Fred- 
erick III Museum — an immense building whose 
large and various rooms house relics of great an- 
tiquity. As we studied the numerous exhibits, 
they seemed to bridge the chasm of past centuries, 
and we felt almost in immediate touch with "the 
great caravan gone on before." In front of the 
museum is the colossal equestrian statue of Fred- 
erick III, which formed part of the German ex- 
hibit at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. 
Louis in 1904. 

As the good ship Pretoria was one day late in 
reaching port, our stay in Berlin was cut short, and 
late in the evening of June twelfth we left, in a spe- 
cial car, for Vienna. 



41 



BOOK NUMBER FIVE 

A (gitmpB? of Suimppst 

B 



ifjUR party reached Vienna from Berlin en 
route to Budapest after an all-night ride 
in comfortable sleeping compartments, 



which are, however, very unlike our own. In fact, 
European railroad travel and railroad equipment 
are altogether different from that of the United 
States. 

As I have already indicated, there is much in Eu- 
rope that we might copy to advantage, but it is not 
in the line of railway transportation. The road- 
beds themselves seem to be very substantially laid, 
but the small engines and the high wheels of the 
coaches remind one of pictures seen when railroad- 
ing was in its infancy. They seem to me a con- 
vincing argument against governmental control of 
such utilities, for competition is eliminated, and 
without competition there is not that incentive to- 
ward improvement, elegance and luxuriousness 
which have made our own great overland trains 
palaces a-wheel and travel itself a comfort and a 
joy. This is, however, by the way. 

Arriving at the hotel for which we were booked, 
we found a delicious breakfast spread for us on 
one of the wide verandas surrounding a court 
made attractive by flowers, vines and leafy trees. 

42 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Here, during the evening meal, a good orchestra 
discoursed sweet music, and, in honor of the am- 
bassadors, the program included "America," and 
"The Stars and Stripes Forever," by John Philip 
Sousa. Eating in the open air is, as we shortly dis- 
covered, quite prevalent in Austria, Hungary and 
Italy. 

No sight-seeing was planned for Vienna until we 
should return here after visiting Budapest, the ob- 
jective point of our journey. 

Soon after breakfast, when we had devoured our 
home letters, and had been initiated into the mys- 
teries of Austrian money, a goodly number of us sal- 
lied forth to see what the shops had to offer in the 
way of souvenirs and merchandise in general. 
Through some unknown medium it became under- 
stood that Vienna specializes in garnets, and be- 
fore the day was over much of the coin of the realm 
had slipped from the pockets of the ambassadors 
into the coffers of the jewelers, who are probably 
still wondering about the sudden and unusual de- 
mand for garnets. 

As we were a day late in Berlin and consequently 
a day short in sight-seeing, our conductor, Mr. Sol- 
bach, in the way of atonement, took us by cog up 
the steep incline to the top of Mount Kahlmberg. 
From this lofty height we had a charming view of 
the city, plains and foothills of the Austrian Alps, 
while the Danube river, winding along like an azure 

43 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

ribbon, added to the beauty and picturesqueness of 
the scene. 

The following morning we boarded a fast train 
for Budapest, arriving there a few hours later. We 
found the city in gala dress, in recognition of the 
International Woman's Suffrage Alliance about to 
meet in convention there. 

As we stepped from the train a reception com- 
mittee greeted us, officially, and we realized from 
the cordial welcome thus extended that a strong 
bond of good will is uniting the women of all lands 
under the common interest of woman's advance- 
ment. This spirit was further emphasized when 
the great convention was called to order and repre- 
sentative women from well-nigh every civilized 
country considered for five days the vital cause of 
universal suffrage. 

All was bustle and business about the Redoute — 
the building in which the congress was held. With 
characteristic forethought of Mr. E. G. Lewis, our 
registration fees had been paid in advance, and our 
badges, programs, tablets, etc., including nicely- 
trimmed lead pencils, bearing the legend, "Votes 
for Women," were awaiting us in individual envel- 
opes, thus relieving us of all preliminary trouble. 

As the doings of this great international con- 
gress were daily heralded by wire and by wireless 
all over the world, such reports are now ancient 
history. But it is gratifying to record that we se- 
cured the representation to which we were entitled 

44 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

as fraternal delegates, choosing by ballot Mrs. Wil- 
liam Grant Brown, Ambassador from New York, 
to present our peace message and resolution, and to 
do the work for which she is so eminently fitted. 

Mrs. Belva A. Lockwood, and other members of 
our party, occupied seats upon the rostrum; the 
writer was given a chair at the tables of the Asso- 
ciated Press, and, on the whole, the Woman's Re- 
public delegation was well in the public eye. 

Convention Hall was decorated with the flags of 
all countries in which there is a suffrage organiza- 
tion — Austria, Belgium, Bohemia, Bulgaria, Canada, 
Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Great Brit- 
ain, Iceland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Aus- 
tralia, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ser- 
via, South Africa, Hungary and the United States. 

We were proud to see Old Glory holding the po- 
sition of honor over the center of the rostrum. Two 
new banners were added at this congress — that of 
China and that of Poland. 

The Chinese banner, unfurled amid great ap- 
plause, was of brilliant red satin fringed with gold, 
and while to the uninitiated the inscription looked 
very much like an oriental laundry mark, upon be- 
ing interpreted, it revealed this very beautiful senti- 
ment: 

"Let us hold together; we are working for the 
same ideals ;" thus showing that the great upward im- 
pulse in the breast of woman is making itself felt even 

45 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

in that far-off land of bandaged feet and bondaged 
souls. 

We were proud of the president of this great In- 
ternational Woman's Suffrage Alliance — Mrs. Car- 
rie Chapman Catt — proud that she is an American 
woman and big enough for her office. 

To preside over such a congress as this one, 
when each motion and matter of business had to 
be translated into three different languages, re- 
quired infinite patience and perseverance on the 
part of the chair ; but Mrs. Catt was equal to all the 
demands made upon her. Fitting appreciation of 
her executive ability and her graciousness as a pre- 
siding officer was shown when she was re-elected 
by acclamation to serve another term. 

I was proud, too, of all the American women 
present — such notable women as Miss Jane 
Addams, Mrs. O. H. P. Belmont, Mrs. Tod Hel- 
muth, Mrs. Nathans, Mrs. Ida Husted Harper, Mrs. 
May Wright Sewall, Rev. Anna Shaw, and others 
who are giving their time, their energies, their 
means and their loving thoughts toward making 
the world a fairer and better place in which to live. 

That the city of Budapest is in hearty accord 
with progressive ideas was manifested by its busi- 
ness men in donating one million kronen (twenty 
thousand dollars) toward the expense of the conven- 
tion and the entertainment of visitors and delegates. 

46 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

There were carriage drives about the city, boat- 
rides on the Danube and banquets and receptions 
galore. 

I sometimes wonder if the spirit of romance ever 
dies in the heart of a woman. Even when she has 
reached what Byron terms "the sere and yellow 
leaf" of life, that indescribable something, which 
filled her youth with beautiful and wonderful vis- 
ions, wells up anew with all the sweet enchantment 
of long-gone days. 

This sense of questioning emphasized itself in 
my consciousness on the occasion of our moonlight 
sail on the Danube River while we were guests of 
Budapest. This pleasure was provided for our en- 
tertainment — an expression of Hungarian hospi- 
tality. 

As the Rhine is fraught with the history of a 
turbulent and warlike past, so the Danube is 
fraught with the spirit of music, romance and 
poesy. 

"The beautiful blue Danube !" 

Who has not surrendered to the witchery of that 
phrase ! 

Strauss has interpreted its rhythmic flow in the 
seductive strains of his Danube Waltzes — strains 
that have enmeshed for all time the hearts of thou- 
sands. 

And as we glided along over the dimpling waves, 
under the spell of the full-orbed moon, the scroll of 

47 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

time seemed to unroll, bringing forth from the past 
the sweet old song, "Upon the Danube River." 

Do you recall that night in June 

Upon the Danube River? 
We listened to a landler tune, 

We watched the moonbeams quiver. 
I oft since then have watched the moon 

But never, love, no never, 
Can I forget that night in June 

Upon the Danube River. 

Our boat kept measure with its oar; 

The music rose in snatches, 
From peasants dancing on the shore 

With boisterous songs and catches. 
I know not why that landler rang 

Through all my soul, but never 
Can I forget the songs they sang 

Upon the Danube River. 

To my surprise, I found that I could not only 
recall every word of the song, but many precious 
memories associated with it were revived — mem- 
ories of the long ago when life itself lilted on like 
a rhyme. 

True, the moonlight was well-nigh eclipsed by 
the myriads of electric lights that twinkled from 
the twin cities, the long bridges, the hillside forts, 
and the Palace of the King. Nor could the "land- 
ler tune" have made itself heard above the throb- 
bing measures of the ship's musicians, yet the ro- 
mance and the memories were there. I fancied that 
a little further on, beyond the bold encroachment 
of modern progress, the peasants were still dancing 
on the shore, and could almost catch the dip of an 

48 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

oar, a snatch of the landler tune and feel the idyllic 
sentiment of that other night in June immortalized 
in the old, old song, "Upon the Danube River." 

It was indeed a glorious June night — a night of 
beauty, charm and retrospection, and I said to my- 
self : "Another radiant vision realized, another rose- 
ate dream come true." 

A most enjoyable occasion in the way of enter- 
tainment was the reception given at the Fisher 
Bastion by the city of Budapest, at which the Bur- 
gomaster, or Mayor, officiated. A delightful ban- 
quet was served. The night was glorious, and to 
reach Castle Hill required the climbing of hun- 
dreds of stone steps after leaving our carriages. 
Guards in gorgeous red and gold uniforms, evi- 
dently conscious of their own splendor and import- 
ance, stood sentinel at the entrance, while the mul- 
titudes lined the driveway and stood obedient to 
that unwritten law of such functions — "Thus far 
and no farther." 

The festivities were continued until near the mid- 
night hour. When the invited guests were depart- 
ing, we noted, while waiting for our carriages, that 
the gates were thrown open to the multitudes, who 
had waited patiently, and they, too, shared in the 
feast of good things, so generously provided by the 
city for its distinguished visitors. 

A lovely afternoon reception in honor of the 
ambassadors, also including Mrs. Ida Husted 
Harper, the well-known writer, and her talented 

49 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

daughter, Mrs. Winnifred Harper-Cooley, was 
given by Mr. and Mrs. Frank Greenberger, who 
dispensed a royal hospitality. The Hungarian ca- 
terers are certainly pastmasters in the art of dainty 
confections, and Hungarian hostesses are distressed 
if you do not display a good appetite. I do not 
feel, however, that we gave them any cause for 
anxiety in this respect. 

Mr. and Mrs. Greenberger are natives of Buda- 
pest, but have lived much in the United States, 
hence are quite American. Mr. Greenberger took 
an active part in the last presidential campaign of 
Colonel Roosevelt, of whom he is an ardent admirer. 

On this occasion, as on many others when we 
were special guests, the American colors were given 
place of honor. The favors were Easter lilies tied 
with ribbon in the colors of Hungary — red, white 
and green. The thanks of the entire embassy are 
due Mr. Greenberger for courtesies and assistance 
shown throughout the convention. 

Much interest was centered about our delegation. 
It seemed to many such a wonderful thing that so 
large a number of representative women should 
come from a country so far away. But there is 
magic in the words "United States," and all who 
could understand our language at all, were inter- 
ested in the Woman's Republic, and have great 
faith in American women. 

Our message and resolution was given to the 
Associated Press of Europe through Mrs. Andrea 

50 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Hofer Proudfoot, a prominent peace advocate, long 
associated with Baroness Von Suttner. To her was 
also given the sonnets, "Lay Down Your Arms." 
This poem was written for the Fourth American 
Peace Congress held in St. Louis. 

Budapest, the capital of Hungary, has a wonder- 
fully picturesque appearance, being built around the 
Schlossberg (Castle Hill) in the form of an amphi- 
theatre, in the midst of a district covered with vine- 
yards. 

Crowning Castle Hill, which has an elevation of 
about five hundred feet above sea level, is the 
Citadel, the place in which are preserved the royal 
insignia of Hungary, and an old Gothic church. 
Behind, and towering above the rock, rises the 
Blocksberg, strongly fortified with a precipitous 
front to the Danube. A fine observatory crowns 
the Blocksberg. Budapest has hot sulphur springs, 
which have gained wide reputation. A few of the 
baths erected by the Turks are still in perfect 
preservation, and frequented by the common people. 
The city has manufactures of various kinds, but its 
chief industry is wine, of which it produces approxi- 
mately five million gallons annually, said to be of 
excellent quality. 

Like many other European cities, Budapest has 
a turbulent history. It is a place of great antiquity, 
but its importance dates from the middle of the 
thirteenth century, when the fortress was erected 
on the Schlossberg. During the invasion of the 

51 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Turks, it was regarded as the key to Christendom. 

In 1872 Buda and Pesth, on opposite banks of 
the Danube, were incorporated under the official 
name of Budapest. It is today a city nearing the 
million mark in population. 

We enjoyed every hour of our stay within the 
gates of this fair Hungarian city, and will long 
remember its beauty, its charm, its hospitality, and, 
best of all, will remember we left a message of 
peace and hope and inspiration to the women of 
Hungary, who are on upward wing, the same as 
we are. 

PEACE MESSAGE OF THE AMBASSADORS 
OF THE WOMAN'S REPUBLIC 

To the International Suffrage Congress at Buda- 
pest, Hungary, June 16th, 1913. 

Madame President and Ladies: We are twenty 
Ambassadors of the American Woman's Republic, 
elected by popular vote of that body, headquar- 
ters at University City, St. Louis, United States of 
America — and representing every state in the 
Union — who have come bearing you a message 
of peace in your great struggle for political equality. 

We wish to accentuate our interest in, and to ad- 
vance your cause — which is woman's cause — by in- 
viting you to co-operate with the Woman's Repub- 
lic in a world-wide crusade against war and the in- 
crease of armaments. We extend you this hearty 

52 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

invitation regardless of nationality, religion, politi- 
cal affiliation, or clubs to which you may belong. 

We believe that war settles nothing, except the 
question of who is the stronger, leaving the diffi- 
culties which brought on the war to be settled later 
by intervention, arbitration and concession. 

War is a matter of brawn, not brain ; of might, 
not right ; and an attempt to settle questions, which 
should be settled judiciously, by arbitrament of the 
sword. 

War is a relic of barbarism of the past that should 
no longer be entered into by any Christian or civ- 
ilized nation. 

Women, in the past, have not been consulted 
by any nation with reference to a declaration of 
war by their country with other nations — yet they 
have always been the principal sufferers. The bur- 
dens, the horrors, the sacrifices of war fall most 
heavily upon them, for they furnish the real 
sinews of war in their own flesh and blood! It is 
for the purpose of changing these conditions, and 
doing away with war, that we have come to this 
Hungarian capital, whose wise ruler has refrained 
from plunging his country in war — to this great 
international congress of women which has aroused 
the attention of the world — to ask your co-operation 
in extending our organization to every civilized na- 
tion of the earth, thereby forming one great inter- 
national republic of women whose votes, influence 
and power shall make war forever impossible. 

53 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

It seems today that the abolition of war, and the 
reduction of armament — the steady increase of 
which is eating up the funds of the great world 
powers and bankrupting the smaller nations — must 
come through the influence and power of the edu- 
cated, cultivated and emancipated women of the 
world — such women as compose this great inter- 
national congress. 

War is decimating, degenerating and impoverish- 
ing the nations of the earth. We are groaning 
under the burden of wars past, present and the 
dread of wars to come, the burden of which falls 
directly on the women, and which has been termed, 
on this continent, the armed peace ! 

No higher purpose or mission could be conceived 
by woman today as she enters into her new and 
greater activities of life — a full partner in the politi- 
cal world with man — than to relegate war to the 
past, along with other barbarisms. 

This, one of the great objects, accomplished, the 
Woman's Republic of the world will have achieved 
its highest mission and performed the greatest serv- 
ice in the history of the human race ! 

Governments deal with governments alone. It 
is left, therefore, for women to form a world-wide 
government of their own, that the governments of 
men shall be made to respect and abide by the dic- 
tum of women that war shall cease. Only by such 
methods does it seem that war will ever be abol- 
ished. The peace missions of men have failed. We 

■ • - 54 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

have undertaken this as the supreme task and prin- 
cipal purpose of the Woman's Republic, for 

"The greatest battle that ever was fought 
We will tell you where and when; 

In the books of battle you'll find it not, 
'Twas fought by the mothers of men." 

We therefore beg leave of this International 
Congress of Women to offer the following resolu- 
tion : 

Resolved, by this international body, that the 
sense of its members is opposed to war as against 
the interest of humanity, and that the increase of 
military and naval armaments is a useless expendi- 
ture opposed to the public good, and that we, as a 
body, recommend that all difficulties hereafter be- 
tween nations shall be settled by reference to The 
Hague Court or by arbitration. 

Signed by all of the Ambassadors. 

LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS. 

Woman's Plea for Peace. 

By Mildred S. McFaden. 
I. 

Lay down your arms; refuse to longer wear 

The cursed mark of Cain upon your brow; 
O, realize that men are brothers now, 

That Love, not Hate, the victor's palm shall bear. 

No longer strive to conquer to ensnare — 

By brutal force bid weaker peoples bow 
The neck to galling yoke; instead, allow 

All equal right in Life's great good to share. 

O, pride, and pomp, and power, and lace of gold, 
O, panoply of war, O, shot and shell, 
No language do you speak save that of Hell! 

None else could voice the cruel story told. 

Forsake the evil: humankind it harms, 

Lay down your arms, in peace, lay down your arms! 

55 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 



II. 

Lay down your arms: the soul of war is dead — 
That sense of chivalry, that daring bold 
Which led crusade and pilgrimage of old — 

When valiant knights on field of honor bled 

And romance o'er their deeds its glamour shed. 
But modern warfare speaks in figures cold, 
In strength of armaments, in terms of gold, 

And writes its ghastly tale in carnage red! 

Let nations all agree to arbitrate, 

And stop the precious toll of human life — 
The flower of our youth — prevent the strife; 

Before a gun is fired, capitulate: 

Since peace through arbitration must be wrought, 
O, make it first instead of last resort. 
III. 

Lay down your arms; each agonizing cry, 

That rises from the trench in death-struck woe, 
Strikes womankind with even fiercer blow — 

And mothers broken-hearted, question why, 

If war is right, and men like dogs must die, 

Why through the shadow of death's valley go, 
In pain and travail only they can know, 

To bear and nurture sons for slaughter — why? 

But woman's hour has struck: her soul demands 

That war shall cease: and who hath better right 
To blot from earth the crime, the curse, the blight, 

To wash accusing stains from human hands! 

The goal she sees is free from war's alarms, 
The Brotherhood of Man: lay down your arms! 
IV. 

Lay down your arms: the time, long-promised, nears — 
In vision seen bv prophet-seers of old — 
The end of war in all the earth foretold — 

When men shall beat to pruning-hooks their spears, 

And swords to plowshares, knowing hence no fears; 
When wolf and lamb together in one fold 
Shall feed — for none shall hurt or kill — behold, 

"A little child shall lead them." Love appears! 

Then let our armies and our navies learn 

The arts of peace, and make the deserts bloom; 
In reaper's song forget the cannon's boom, 

And battle-ships to trading-ships will turn. 

Peace, world-wide peace, with all its blessed charms — 
Is woman's plea today: Lay down your arms! 

56 




DR. BELVA A. LOCKWOOD 

Ambassador from District of Columbia 




DR. CLARA C. AUSTIN 

Ambassador from Massachusetts 




BOOK NUMBER SIX 

Itemta, % Austrian (Eapttal 

RETURNING to Vienna from Budapest, 
we again settled ourselves in our hotel 
preparatory to two days of sight-seeing 
in the capital of the Austrian Empire. 

In undertaking to give anything like a graphic 
description of any European city of note, one im- 
mediately feels the handicap of limitation. There 
is so much of historic interest, so much of human 
interest, such wealth of legendary lore, such splen- 
did cathedrals, so many wonderful art galleries, 
that one realizes the impossibility of getting more 
than a fascinating glimpse of a city in the brief 
stay allotted to each place. The ambassadors, how- 
ever, soon learned to move as one man (or rather 
as one woman), consequently little time was lost 
in waiting. We all wanted to see everything, and 
were usually ready when the carriages "lined up" 
to receive us. 

Our first morning was devoted largely to seeing 
the cathedrals and to a drive about the central part 
of the city. Vienna is the see of the archbishop, 
and the chief of its many churches is the Cathedral 
of St. Stephens, an immense edifice with very beau- 
tiful towers four hundred and fifty feet high. It was 
founded about six hundred years ago. The present 

57 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

structure was erected to replace the former one, which 
was removed as being unsafe. The choir was begun 
in the middle of the fourteenth century, while the nave 
dates a century later. 

The Church of the Augustines is noted for its 
fine memorial of Arch-Duchess Christina of Saxe- 
Teschen, which is said to be one of the most suc- 
cessful works of the famous sculptor, Carnova. So 
wonderfully realistic is this bit of sculpture that one 
can scarcely believe it a work of art — it is so very 
lifelike. 

The most beautiful church, however, in Vienna, 
is the Votif Kirche, built in commemoration of the 
emperor's escape from assassination in 1853. It 
is Gothic in design, with tall towers and spires, 
has magnificent windows of matchless coloring, and 
contains a vast amount of delicate traceries and 
hand-carvings of surpassing beauty. 

In these great cathedrals, which are in a man- 
ner awe-inspiring, there are many elaborate altars 
where candles burn continually ; the frescoes and 
windows are marvels of art; the outlay of money 
and labor represented is enormous; but to me, per- 
sonally, there is about them a sense of sadness, an 
atmosphere of sorrow extremely depressing. 
Everything seems to speak of gloom, of suffering, 
of tragedy, of death — when the whole world is long- 
ing for life, truth and the harmony of being! As 
I noted, in many instances, the dejected attitude 
of the worshipers — earnest souls struggling upward 

58 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

toward sweetness and light — I well knew they were 
traveling the thorn-road to the mount of vision. 
How I wished, silently and reverently, that every 
longing heart might know that it is not death, but 
the understanding of life that makes man immortal. 

But as records of religious history and examples 
of the highest art in frescoes, mosaics, statuary, 
glass-coloring, intricate carvings and noble archi- 
tecture, the cathedrals of Europe stand without a 
parallel. 

Driving along toward the Imperial Park we 
passed many fine monuments, each commemorat- 
ing some person or event of importance; the House 
of Parliament, with its pleasing Greek architecture 
and beautiful Minerva fountain; the Palace of Jus- 
tice; the Imperial Museum; the Vienna Opera 
House; the emperor's stables, housing six hundred 
horses and four hundred carriages, our guide in the 
meantime relating many notable incidents and inter- 
esting bits of history. 

There are kept in the Imperial stables six jet 
black horses to draw the royal carriage when the 
court is in mourning, and as many milk-white ones 
for use on festive occasions. Many royal vehicles 
of interest are assembled here, notably those of 
Charles IV, Maria Theresa and Napoleon ; also the 
tiny state carriage of the baby Duke of Reichstadt, 
or "The Young Eaglet," as his ambitious father 
proudly called him. 

59 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

The Imperial Park is most inviting, with its wide 
roadways, shady paths, luxuriant trees and beauti- 
ful flowers. It is called "the people's garden," for 
it is open at all times for the use and enjoyment of 
the multitudes, which in Austria, as in every other 
country, are the great common people. 

In a quiet nook of this park near the main en- 
trance, stands a white marble statue of Empress 
Elizabeth, wife of the present emperor, who was 
assassinated in Geneva in 1898. This monument, 
erected by the people of Austria, overlooks a limpid 
pool in which a playing fountain lightly tosses its 
crystal spray into the upturned cups of countless 
water lilies, white, yellow, pink and red. From this 
pool extend a series of sunken gardens, forming a 
long vista of exquisite floral beauty. 

Many illustrious musicians and composers have 
found a last resting place in Vienna, and have been 
honored and commemorated with beautiful statues 
— Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, Von Suppe, 
Brahms, Johann Strauss and others. 

Vienna consists of the old city, or inner town, 
called the Stadt, with narrow, irregular streets, and 
a circle of nine suburbs completely surrounding it. 
Around the Stadt and separating it from the sub- 
urbs is a space upon which formerly stood the for- 
tification, leveled more than half a century ago. 
This space, now lined with modern buildings, 
forms what is known as the Ringstrasse, a hand- 
some boulevard two hundred feet wide. Besides the 

60 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

old fortifications above mentioned, there is an ex- 
ternal ring with rampart and foss still preserved 
as the boundary of the city imposts, and called the 
Lines. Unlike most other European cities, the old 
part of Vienna is the most fashionable. In the 
Stadt are the palace of the emperor, many state- 
ly mansions of the nobility, the official buildings, 
the finest churches, the chief galleries and mu- 
seums, the exchange and the best shops. 

The principal places of public resort are the gar- 
dens of the palace at Schonbrunn, the Augarten, 
and the Prater, the latter containing about two thou- 
sand acres, probably the largest park in Europe. It 
was in this park that the great exposition of 1873 was 
held. 

A trip to the Schonbrunn — the Imperial Austrian 
summer chateau, on the outskirts of Vienna — was 
our program for the afternoon. After luncheon at 
the hotel we again set out "to see things." 

Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Peck and myself happened to 
be in the last carriage of the procession. We had 
not proceeded far when our horses became unruly 
and showed a determined disposition to come in- 
side the carriage, thereby producing a mild panic. 
"Get out, quick," commanded Mrs. Brown, and soon 
the Ambassadors from California, New York and 
Missouri stood trembling, like frightened children, 
on the pavement, while handbags, notebooks and 
lead pencils were scattered promiscuously beneath 
the wheels of the carriage and the hoofs of the 

61 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

plunging horses. I will say right here that our 
conductor is a linguist, and I feel sure he used every 
language at his command in sending that driver 
back to the barn for a less coquettish team. We 
were not long detained, however, and after a brisk 
drive of several miles we reached the palace gates 
leading into the grounds of Schonbrunn. Here we 
left our carriages and strolled about leisurely most 
of the afternoon in this truly wonderful park. Its 
beauty is inconceivable. One can only dream of the 
Gardens of Daphne. 

As we passed through the palace gates a picture 
of surpassing beauty spread itself before us. The 
trees are trimmed and trained into every conceiv- 
able shape, the idea originating with that match- 
less landscape artist, Le Norte, who fashioned the 
royal gardens at Versailles, and whose touch is evi- 
dent in many of the parks and gardens of Europe. 
A carpet of flowers in luxuriant bloom stretched 
along toward the distant wood, intersected now and 
then by playing fountains and groups of statuary. 
Two of these are worthy of special mention — the 
splendid monument of Empress Maria Theresa and 
the Fountain of Neptune. On either side of the 
snowy walks enclosing this floral plaza exquisite 
marble statuary, representing mythological charac- 
ters and subjects, is set in the cool green niches of 
the screen-like foliage. 

As we walked along, vista after vista of emerald 
beauty unfolded their charms until we could fancy 

62 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

that we were indeed in a veritable garden of the 
gods. These grounds, too, are historic, and fraught 
with all that peculiar interest surrounding the life 
of royalty. 

At the end of the garden we came upon an old 
Roman ruin dating from the time of Marcus Aurelius. 
A little farther on we paused to admire the great 
Cleopatra's Needle, so appropriately set, with its 
background of foliage, on the side of the wooded 
hill. 

Rambling along past the large greenhouses and 
by high stone walls half hidden with ivy, we came 
to an exit, far from where we had entered, and 
found our carriages awaiting us. We turned with 
reluctance from this beauty spot of Vienna, the 
memory of which I am sure will live with us for 
many a day. 

After an enjoyable drive over the Ringstrasse we 
reached the hotel in time for a good supper in the 
open air, served to strains of sweet music. 

The next morning we went to the Imperial Vault, 
in Capuchin Church, built four hundred and fifty 
years ago. This mausoleum, the burial place 
of Austrian royalty, was founded by Emperor 
Matthias, and is imposing in its way. Many 
rulers, some of them after varied and checkered 
careers, have laid down the scepter at the 
command of a still greater ruler, and have found 
final refuge in this realm of unbroken silence. 
Passing from one sarcophagus to another, we read 

63 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

many names with which history has made us fa- 
miliar. One special vault is called the "Angel Cas- 
tle," in which the little children of royalty find a 
resting place. Amongst these are two children of 
Maria Theresa, and nearby sleep their devoted 
nurse, of whom they were extremely fond. 

The tomb of Frederick the Third, Emperor Maxi- 
milian of Mexico; Maria Theresa and her husband; 
the parents of the present Emperor Francis Josef; 
the son of Napoleon, who died at Schonbrunn as 
the Duke of Reichstadt; Marie Louise, Empress 
Elizabeth, and many others, all suggest some vital 
bit of history. 

Although fifteen years have passed since the as- 
sassination of the Empress-Queen Elizabeth, fresh 
flowers were blooming on her tomb, mute remind- 
ers that loving thoughts of the living still pay the 
tribute of remembrance to those who have passed 
beyond the veil. 

The very magnificence, the artistic richness, the 
cold massiveness of these imperial tombs are well- 
nigh overpowering. I could only feel how very 
much better it would be to simply lie down, close 
to Nature's heart, in "a low grave starred with 
daisies," where, instead of the musty atmosphere 
of dead centuries, the sunny breezes, redolent with 
breath of flowers and vibrant with song of birds, 
might whisper always a soothing requiem of peace 
and rest. 

64 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Our next pilgrimage was to the Leichtenstein Art 
Gallery, where we beheld canvas after canvas of 
the masters. Indeed, the unprejudiced American 
cannot tarry long abroad, with open eyes and a 
liberal mind, without realizing that he knows com- 
paratively little of real art. This, however, is noth- 
ing to his discredit. It is because America is new, 
and a new country offers untoward conditions for 
the highest expression of art. Americans have 
been too busy subduing a continent, and developing 
its commercial greatness, to give much time and at- 
tention to the serious study of art. This pleasant 
and important task is still ahead of us. But in 
proper time and order will arise men and women 
with chisel, with pen and with brush, worthy to 
place the nation in the front rank of every line of 
art, as has already been done in the more material 
things. 

Among the masterpieces which held us captive 
we may mention the "Glorification of the Virgin 
Mary," by Rubens; "Diana and Endymion," by 
Rembrandt. 

The great walls are covered with beautiful can- 
vases showing in every stroke of the brush the hand 
of the master. 

We hurried on to the Imperial Palace, in which is 
the treasury of the imperial house of Austria. The 
space occupied by the treasury is in the oldest part 
of the palace, and has been used by the rulers of 
Austria the past three hundred years as a depository 

65 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

for the safe-keeping of their private treasure. It is 
today a museum of wondrous interest, where one 
might well spend a whole year studying the numer- 
ous and various exhibits to advantage, while we had 
perhaps an hour to pass hurriedly from one show- 
case to another. But we saw, at a glance, heir- 
looms, crown jewels and relics innumerable; cor- 
onation robes, swords, insignias, and regalias, the 
imperial baptismal utensils, and keys to the coffins 
of deceased members of the imperial family. There 
is, too, a wonderful collecton of holy relics pre- 
served in unique receptacles. These include : The 
Lance of St. Maurice, enclosing a nail of the holy 
cross; a piece of the holy cross, surpassed in size 
only by that preserved at Rome ; a piece of the holy 
apron used by the Saviour when washing the feet 
of His disciples; a remnant of the holy tablecloth 
used at the Last Supper ; a fragment of the manger- 
cradle of Jesus; a bone of the arm of St. Anne set 
in a tube of pure gold ; three links of the iron chain 
with which the apostles Peter, Paul and John were 
fettered. These are only a few of the sacred relics 
housed in the royal treasury. 

Our whole embassy, woman-like, lingered longest 
around the immense crystal cabinets containing 
jewels worth many a king's ransom — jewels of 
priceless value which have graced the soft tresses 
and hung about the white throats and arms of many 
a gracious queen. But we turned away without 
even a twinge of envy, proud to be twentieth cen- 

66 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

tury American women, democratic in our ideas, and 
free from many of the vicissitudes which so often 
beset the paths of royalty. 

Vienna ranks high as a commercial and manu- 
facturing city, as well as center of learning. As 
a fashion center, also, it is claimed to be running 
Paris a very close race. The University of Vienna, 
founded more than five hundred years ago, has an 
enrollment of six thousand students and a staff of 
half a thousand professors and lecturers. As a 
school of medicine it is celebrated all over the 
world — a degree from which is an open sesame 
to the highest fields of medical practice. The 
manufacture of silk stuffs, and shawl weaving are 
important industries, and all kinds of fancy leather 
articles are produced in great quantity and variety. 

The citizens of Vienna, wisely alert to their pos- 
sibilities in the way of municipal greatness, spent 
ten million dollars to bring the Danube River closer 
to the city, and to improve its navigation. The 
completion of this stupendous undertaking has 
tended to make the Austrian capital the center of 
the ship trade between east and west, as it already 
is the center of railway communication. It is now 
a great grain market, and in every way a splendid 
city with a population ranging around the two mil- 
lion mark. 

We might go on, like the brook, "forever," and 
barely touch upon the feast daily spread for us — a 
feast that is making our whole lives richer, deeper 
and broader — and yet the half can never be told. 
67 




BOOK NUMBER SEVEN 

A lag m % Auatrian Alps 

N the morning of June twenty-second we 
left Vienna for Venice. Compartments 
had been reserved for us in a through 
train, and our route took us by way of the Austrian 
Alps. 

Our stay in Vienna had been delightful, but we 
had not journeyed far beyond its gates before we 
realized anew that "man made the city, God made 
the country." A vast panorama of pastoral beauty, 
suggesting contentment and peace, seemed to un- 
fold itself into new charm with each bend and turn 
of the road. 

The wheat fields were golden and just beginning 
to bow to the reaper's sickle. I say sickle advisedly, 
for this primitive little implement is the one still 
in use in this land of intensive farming. No self- 
binding reapers — in fact, one would scarcely have 
room to turn around in these tiny Austrian wheat 
fields. But with typical thrift every stalk is saved, 
not a grain is lost. No meek-eyed, modern Ruth 
could possibly glean an extra sheaf following in 
the wake of these frugal reapers — unless, perchance, 
there should be, as of old, a generous Boaz amongst 
them. 

But what appealed especially to my sense of 

68 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

beauty were the bright scarlet poppies and the blue 
cornflowers peeping saucily out amongst the 
bearded heads of wheat, though doubtless these are 
just as annoying to the Austrian farmer as is the 
morning-glory to the American farmer; but the 
picture was perfect. Then, too, every foot of avail- 
able soil was producing something of value — grain, 
fruit, vegetables, wine, flowers; these last-men- 
tioned climbing up to the very rails of the road- 
bed and flaunting their silken petals in a veritable 
riot of gay colorings. 

A noticeable feature of farming in Austria, Hun- 
gary and Germany is that it seems to be largely a 
community interest. Instead of the individual 
farm-house, surrounded by its own acres, there are 
villages or hamlets and the work is done by groups 
of men, women and children. We passed several 
such groups enjoying their mid-day meal in the 
field, which gave one the impression of a picnic 
party. No doubt the community center does away 
with much of the monotony and isolation of rural 
life. 

Speeding swiftly along, drinking in the joy of the 
"simple life," almost before we were aware, the 
foothills closed about us, the pastoral gave place 
to the picturesque, the mountains began to hem us 
in, and we found ourselves gliding through ever- 
increasing grandeur, nearer and nearer the heart of 
the Dolomites. 



69 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Neither pen nor brush is facile enough to portray 
the scenic charm of the Austrian Alps. Nature was 
in her most fantastic mood when she fashioned 
them. She tossed them aloft in the very joy of cre- 
ation, wrapping their sides with fragrant verdure, 
veiling their shoulders with fleecy cloudlets and 
crowning the most majestic ones with diadems of 
perpetual snow. She unleashes the restless cas- 
cades and sends them laughing, dancing and sing- 
ing a-down sheer and dizzy heights — yet gossamer- 
like as a bridal veil; she spreads out her emerald 
carpets of velvety softness and stars them with 
myriads of wild flowers, and hangs over all a 
dreamy, amethyst haze, beautiful beyond expres- 
sion. 

I saw a little later in one of the great art galleries 
of Europe a magnificent canvas, fairly jubilant with 
its wealth of glowing color, entitled, "June in the 
Austrian Alps." It was an excellent bit of work, 
and I admired it immensely. I admired, too, the 
courage of the artist in such an undertaking, for 
I had just seen the Austrian Alps in June, and real- 
ized how impossible it is for even the greatest 
artist to give the world a message which Nature 
only can fully express. 

But we can all admire and enjoy the beautiful, 
even though we may not be able to create it or to 
express it fitly. The ambassadors, indeed, seemed 
too full for utterance save through the medium of 

70 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

exclamation points. They simply absorbed the 
glory of the scene. 

Every little while the click of a camera told that 
Doctor Thompson or Mrs. Pepler had caught some- 
thing too irresistible to let pass. Nor did I won- 
der when later on I heard expressions like this : 
"My! but my camera is costing me a lot. I spent 
ten dollars this morning for developing films. I 
shall not be able to take home half the things I 
wanted to." Well, dear comrades, what of it? For, 
after all, these little reminders of a wonderful jour- 
ney abroad will be prized and treasured long after 
bits of wood-carving, hand-embroideries, collars of 
real lace and Venetian cameos are things of the 
past. 

In all mountain hamlets the church seems to be 
the chief object of interest. Whatever there may 
be of wealth, art or feeling, is manifested in con- 
nection with it, and it always occupies the most 
commanding view. At every railroad station where 
we stopped a curious throng was gathered. It was 
Sunday, hence the peasant lads and lassies were 
having a holiday and, dressed in their best, they 
promenaded up and down the platform and seemed 
to take much interest in "the passing show." The 
costume of the women is pretty and unique, and 
one can only hope that Dame Fashion, as we know 
her, may never invade these quiet valleys of the 
Tyrol and persuade these primitive mountain-folk 
to exchange their picturesque raiment for the mod- 

71 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

ern monstrosities she imposes upon more progres- 
sive (?) peoples. 

The men wear marvelously-fashioned garments, 
mostly of homespun, dark and serviceable. Their 
one vanity finds expression in the decorations of 
their hats. These consist of a jaunty wisp of 
feathers, or a bright posy of fresh flowers. They 
wear these feminine adjuncts with conscious pride, 
for, no doubt, they were arranged for each cavalier 
by his sweetheart or his faithful frau. Some few 
wore in their hats the "brush" of the mountain 
chamois, in evidence, so we were told, of their skill 
as marksmen. 

We had dinner and supper in the dining car, or 
"restaurant wagon," as it is called by the natives. 

When we reached the Italian frontier our baggage 
went through the customs inspection without re- 
vealing any contraband goods. 

Gradually we had come down from the heights 
to the lower levels. The radiance of the setting 
sun still lingered on the mountain-tops. We 
crossed the borderland of Italy, and looking back 
we took a long, last, glorious view of the Dolomites, 
just as they were gathering about their stately 
heads the purple shadows of the coming night. 

Perhaps Ruskin is right in saying that man 
should dwell in the lowlands, where mother earth 
stretches out a broad bosom to his toil, his hopes, 
and his failures. The air of the heights is too 
rarified, spiritually no less than physically. 

72 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Though the spell of the mountains still held us 
captive, in a measure, we, with all the fickleness 
which is supposed to characterize women, were 
soon "off with the old love and on with the new," 
for the soft, warm breath of sunny Italy came se- 
ductively in at the open windows, laden with the 
sweet balm of growing- things — of orchards and 
vineyards and gardens. 

No one seemed disposed to talk, so we indulged 
our somewhat pensive mood, and just snuggled up 
against our cushions and dreamed and dreamed. 
Occasionally the silence was broken by little 
snatches of a Venetian boating song which seemed 
to haunt the historian's memory: 

"The boatmen are calling 

Sta-li! Sta-li! 
The glory is falling 

On me, on me; 
The light breeze is shaking 

The bay — the bay! 
Then up and be waking 

Gia-e, Gia-e! 

In Venice, the golden, 

To dream, to dream, 
With love stories olden 

For theme, for theme, 
In Venice to waste life 

With thee, with thee, 
Thus true lovers taste life, 

Sta-li! Sta-li!" 

After an hour or two more of introspection and 
self-communion, a low rumbling sound told us we 
were on the bridge which spans the lagoon from 
the mainland to the city of Venice. 

73 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

In an instant all were alert and with one accord 
looked out upon a scene most entrancing. Across 
the glistening waters, more than two miles away, 
Venice, Pearl of the Adriatic, with her domes and 
cupolas and towers, ablaze with light, seemed lit- 
erally afloat upon the tranquil waters. 

We could readily fancy we were viewing a fairy 
city, a city of magic called into existence by the 
wave of an enchanter's wand, or some mighty ship 
resting at anchor on the broad bosom of the sea. 

The soft lapping of the waves against the low 
bridge, the long bars of light falling in shimmering 
ra)rs across the lagoon, were parts of a picture we 
shall never forget. 

We pulled into the station at midnight — a sta- 
tion different from any other, for there were no 
taxicabs, no carriages, no street cars, no noise, no 
confusion. A fleet of gondolas was waiting to bear 
us to our hotel in that fair city of the sea, whose 
streets are ever ebbing and flowing. 

The experience, I must say, was novel, bordering 
on the weird and the uncanny. The gondolas are 
all painted black — a concession to a long siege of 
plague — and with their erect, inquisitive-looking 
heads, they seem almost like things of life. They 
are long and a trifle unwieldy, and it took consid- 
erable maneuvering on the part of the gondoliers to 
thread the maze of small craft and bring each one 
into line to receive its quota of passengers and bag- 

74 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

gage. They have two cushioned seats facing each 
other and each seat accommodates two persons. As 
each one was filled it slipped softly under the low 
bridge nearby, and was lost in the shadows of the 
night. 

I happened to be in the last gondola with one 
other lady of our party and our conductor, Mr. 
Solbach. I confess I was glad he was along. It 
was midnight and the stillness was well-nigh over- 
powering. Not a sound save the rhythmic dip of 
the one oar in the hand of the gondolier, who stood 
far back on the end of the boat. To shorten the 
distance to the hotel, we had turned from the Grand 
Canal and drifted into the narrow sea lanes, full of 
shadows and lined on either side with residences, 
having, seemingly, no other foundation than the 
shifting waters of the lagoon. Scarcely a word was 
spoken until we passed an overturned gondola 
showing only its extreme ends above the surface. 
"There," said my lady companion, "lies one load 
of our crowd. I wonder which one." This melo- 
dramatic speech, however, seemed to break the 
spell and soon we were chatting and laughing and 
thoroughly enjoying the unique situation. 

Coming again into the Grand Canal, bright with 
lights from the shores, we soon turned into a quiet 
little cove, as it were, and landed at the door of our 
hotel — the Grand Luna — right in the heart of the 
most interesting part of the city. 

75 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

It had been a wonderful day, teeming with pleas- 
ant experiences. New joys awaited us on the mor- 
row, so we were glad to retire and get, at least, our 
"beauty sleep" before the morning. As we sought 
our pillows I am sure the last thought to leave our 
consciousness was: "We are in Venice!" 



*J* 



76 




BOOK NUMBER EIGHT 

Ifettir?, fflttg nf X\\t Bm 

jENICE, the indescribable; the glory-crowned! 
Filled to the brim with light and warmth and 
color. Permeated through and through with 
the spirit of melody, romance and poesy. Venice, al- 
luring, seductive, sensuous! 

Who that has seen thee has not surrendered to 
thy thraldom? Who that has tried to portray thee, 
with pen or with brush, has not felt the hopeless- 
ness of the task? Who that has tried to sing of thee 
has not felt that he must hang his harp on the wil- 
lows in muteness — powerless to express thy witch- 
ery and thy charm? 

There is, indeed, but one Venice, and she, an ir- 
resistible magnet, sits enthroned on her sunny isles 
and woos and lures an admiring world to come and 
offer homage at her shrine. 

Our first morning in Venice dawned bright and 
beautiful. The sunlight, warm and caressing, 
touched with golden splendor the marble palaces, 
which rise vision-like from the water, and sparkled 
like myriads of diamonds on the dimpling waves 
of the Canalazzo. 

The breezes, soft and balmy, were buoyant with 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

the subtle tang of the sea, and tenderly over all 
brooded the dreamy Italian skies. 

Our good hostelry itself fits well into the general 
scheme of things. Within a stone's throw of the 
Ducal Palace, and an erstwhile palace itself, it re- 
flects in its architecture and style the glory of by- 
gone days when Venice was indeed Queen of the 
Adriatic, a queen without a rival. The stateliness 
of the large salons, the magnificent frescoes, the 
beautiful paintings, the exquisite carvings, all sug- 
gest the abode of nobility and aristocracy. There- 
fore, to sit as tourists in the splendid dining-room, 
being catered to for the sordid consideration of so 
much coin of the realm, seemed incongruous to say 
the least. 

One could readily fancy gathered here a brilliant 
coterie of "fair women and brave men," in the joy 
and delight of social intercourse; and could almost 
catch a glance of bright eyes, a flash of gleaming 
jewels, and the sparkle of rare vintage as youth and 
beauty were toasted with the chivalric spirit of the 
time — a time when woman "stooped to conquer" 
and held her Empire through her arch accomplice, 
Love! 

But we had come to Venice to see rather than 
to dream; so we awoke from our reverie to answer 
the insistent call of the out-of-doors. 

Some of our party, even before breakfast, had 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

been out reconnoitering, and the report of their sur- 
vey made us all anxious to be abroad. 

Our official sight-seeing had been planned for the 
morrow, so we, like a bevy of school girls, flitted 
forth to wander at our own sweet will amongst the 
tiny shops, overflowing with souvenirs and charm- 
ing wares, various enough to satisfy the desire of 
the most exacting tourist. 

One thing which claimed our immediate notice 
was the vast array of beads displayed in almost 
every shop — beads of all kinds, colors, and descrip- 
tions, running the entire gauntlet from corals and 
pearls to "squaw" beads; bead bags, bead girdles, 
bead collars ; long strands, short strands and bead 
novelties galore. One can imagine that if these 
beads could be strung on a single thread into a sin- 
gle strand it would bridge the Atlantic if not en- 
circle the globe! 

Each ambassador, however, found "just the 
thing" she was looking for, whether a bead bag, a 
classic cameo, a piece of Venetian enamel, a string 
of corals or pearls, a bit of real Venetian lace, or 
some other of the thousand and one articles dis- 
played on every hand to tempt the liberal-hearted 
traveler. 

A visit to one of the schools of lace-making 
proved most interesting to our party, as well as 
quite profitable to the management of the indus- 
try. The output of these lace-workers, attractively 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

arranged, is for sale in the show-rooms connected 
with the school. 

The head saleswoman of the establishment is cer- 
tainly a past-mistress of her art, for she knows just 
how to show her wares to the best advantage. She 
watches closely the expression on the face of her 
prospective customer, noting its slightest change, 
and when it reveals signs of surrender to the in- 
tricate mesh of delicate threads, she brings forth her 
most convincing argument, and knows exactly how 
to voice her final, victorious appeal, and, presto ! the 
lace is yours. 

But even women could not loiter all day in the 
shops in Venice. Everything was calling us out 
into the open. The very air intoxicated us ; the sun- 
shine was in our blood ; we could not wait for tomor- 
row's sight-seeing under a trained guide and con- 
ductor, we wanted to see things today. So we 
turned into the Piazza — the Square of St. Mark's — 
and beheld for the first time the world-famous 
church of San Marco — the church of which we all 
have read and dreamed. But we will not go inside 
today; we will just revel with the pigeons — the 
pigeons of Dandolo — as they whirl and skim in and 
out of the great quadrangle, the sunlight glinting in 
iridescent sheen from every graceful throat and 
breast. 

Little regard have these bright-winged messen- 
gers of light and freedom for the traditions of men. 
With airy disregard of all things sacred, they swirl 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

and swoop down over the shining domes and spires 
onto the gold-crowned heads of saints in stone, or 
perch breezily upon the classic manes of the great 
bronze horses above the doorway. 

Lords are they of all that they survey ! And why 
not? Pets of the state these birds have been for 
hundreds of years. The far-off ancestor of these 
same pigeons, or doves as they are sometimes called, 
was the chief dispatch-bearer of the great Dandolo 
during the siege of Candia. When the good news 
reached Venice, the day the admiral's victorious 
banner was flung to the breeze, it did not come by 
human courier, by wire, nor by wireless; but the 
Grand Council sitting in state, first received the glad 
tidings from the soft plumage of a carrier pigeon ! 
No wonder, then, that these feathered aristocrats, 
with a proud lineage reaching back through the cen- 
turies, revel undisturbed in the sunlight, and feast 
undismayed from the open palms of visitors every 
day. We feed them, we pet them, we photograph 
them, until we are reminded that it is time for luncheon 
at the hotel. 

In the meantime two of our party have been 
across to the Lido and are full of enthusiasm, de- 
claring we must not miss seeing it. 

We are glad we did not, although it is very like 
some of our own fashionable resort places. 

It is only twelve minutes by electric launch, and 
is certainly a modern beauty spot amongst this 
antique cluster of sea-girt islands. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

The Lido is, primarily, a long- stretch of sand- 
bank lying- protectingly between Venice and the 
Adriatic Sea. The island has been brought into 
wonderful productiveness, and is literally a bower 
of orchards and gardens whose fruits and flowers 
supply the markets of Venice. 

Its strongest appeal, however, to many is that 
it is a thoroughly up-to-date pleasure resort with 
magnificent hotels, beautiful villas, all kinds of 
amusements, sea bathing and a lovely beach — every- 
thing luxurious in the broadest sense of the word. 

Its crowning glory is the new Excelsior Palace 
Hotel, with its four hundred rooms, very elegant, 
and, with its delightful promenades and splendid 
terraces overlooking the Adriatic with its pictur- 
esque sea life, is charming in the extreme. 

One does not wonder that during the season peo- 
ple of wealth and fashion flock to the beautiful Lido 
to revel in its sunshine, its music, its charm, and 
its sea-cool breezes. 

We loitered and lingered until the lengthening 
shadows reminded us that the afternoon was far 
spent, and a warning note from our launch told us 
it was time for the home-returning. 

In a few moments we were again in the Square 
of St. Mark's, which seems to be the magic center 
toward which all things trend in Venice. 

As a fitting close of a glorious day, we viewed 
the city from the observatory of the Campanile. 
The panorama of Venice, nestled upon her more 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

than one hundred islands, seen from the Campanile, 
towering, as it does, over three hundred feet above 
the Piazza of St. Mark's, only accentuated our sense 
of enchantment. 

Viewed from this vantage-point the magic city- 
appears like some mammoth mosaic wrought out in 
vari-colored crystals by the hand of a master. The 
marble palaces, doubled by reflection in the trans- 
lucent waters, the gilded domes and spires, the 
tiny parks and gardens, the sea-tinted lagoons, 
which every breeze breaks into new fantasies, the 
Grand Canal with its picturesque craft carrying 
on the traffic of the city, the sleepy by-ways drows- 
ing in the stillness, the beautiful Lido nestled 
against the crested blue of the Adriatic Sea, the dis- 
tant view of purple mountain peaks, all canopied 
over with an evening sky of topaz and opal and 
sapphire, formed a picture of marvelous beauty — a 
picture that will live long in our memory. 

We came down from this "mount of vision" both 
exalted and subdued. Our hearts went out in grati- 
tude to those who planned this delightful tour, and 
to all who made it possible for us to take advantage 
of it. In thoughtful mood we strolled across the 
square, lined on the right hand and on the left 
with hundreds of small tables, where refreshments 
were being served to a hungry and thirsty multi- 
tude. We drifted back to the hotel, where we dined 
and sent postcards to friends and loved ones far 
across the ocean. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Although the day had been a somewhat strenu- 
ous one, we felt no inclination to rest. Indeed, with 
only two days in which to see Venice, the claims 
of rest and sleep received small consideration. 

The nights were too fascinating, too bewitching to 
spend in sleep. So, after dinner our embassy divided 
into little groups and prepared to spend the evening 
in the way which most appealed to individual fancy. 
There right at hand was the Piazza, with its music, 
its merriment, its festivity and its rim of brilliantly- 
lighted arcades, giving one a most characteristic 
glimpse of Venetian night life. But also at hand 
were the dusky-eyed gondoliers, soliciting us in 
musical voice to a twilight row on the canals, which 
proved irresistible to some of us ; for, after all, it is 
the waterways and romantic craft of Venice which 
make her so different from other cities, and which 
are so novel and attractive to visitors. 

Suffice it to say that the hour was late when we 
finally retired. Even then we found ourselves more 
than once at the open casement, listening to tinkling 
mandolins in some passing boat, and drinking in 
the silent beauty of the night. 

In the matter of natural conditions, our second 
day in Venice duplicated the first. At an early hour 
our guide was at hand, and we were ready and 
eager for the sights and experiences of the day. 

We spent the entire forenoon "doing" St. Mark's, 
the Palace of the Doges and the art galleries. Let 
me say here, incidentally, that in order to fully ap- 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

preciate the many wonderful things assembled there 
it is absolutely necessary to know something of the 
history connected with them. One must bridge the 
chasm of intervening centuries and go back to the 
palmy days of Venice; back to the time when she 
negotiated with kings; made war and peace be- 
tween nations; when her argosies traversed every 
arm of the ocean, and her great naval fleet made her 
an acknowledged mistress of the seas. 

Considered relatively, one can only marvel that 
so small a state, possessing but few natural re- 
sources beyond the seafaring habits of her popula- 
tion and the patriotism of her citizens, could have 
covered herself with such glory and splendor as did 
Venice at the zenith of her power. 

The secret probably lies in the fact that her 
proud makers and rulers, in the olden days, ideal- 
ized and loved her supremely, gladly effacing them- 
selves, even, for the glory of their beloved city. 

As her greatness increased, she increased in mag- 
nificence. Her nobles, having no lands or other 
broad avenues in which they might employ and ex- 
ploit their wealth, lavished fortunes upon luxurious 
living — their palaces, their pictures, their decora- 
tions and costly raiment. Her noblemen at that 
time were the most opulent in all Europe; while 
travel, culture and environs of refinement had made 
them the most polished. 

Their palaces were resplendent with the treas- 
ures and spoils of the Orient. Evidently the Golden 

85 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Rule was a dead letter in their business ethics, and 
the spirit of altruism an unknown quantity, for we 
gather from history that even the crusades in which 
Venetians took part, partook more of the nature of 
predatory cruises than pilgrimages; their purpose 
more to monopolize the maritime departments of 
such movements and extend commercial supremacy, 
than to transfer the long-dead body of a saint, or 
to secure the Holy Sepulcher in Christian posses- 
sion. 

At the time of the Fourth Crusade, when Enrico 
Dandolo, at the head of Venetian arms, carried 
Constantinople by storm, Venice was nearing the 
top crest of the wave — her power and prestige well- 
nigh spectacular. 

Her industries were flourishing; the clang of 
thousands of hammers was heard daily in her ship- 
yards; her merchantmen were going into the great 
trading marts of the Far East ; eminent scholars 
were writing her literature and building up the vast 
library housed in the Palace of the Doges; artists 
and sculptors whose names are, today, known all 
over the civilized world were beautifying her with 
masterpieces of chisel and brush; famous lyric 
and epic poets were immortalizing her with song 
and story — all creating a halo, as it were, about this 
fair city of the sea, which has never lost its charm. 

With a fairly good knowledge of Venetian his- 
tory (recently refreshed) we crossed the Square 
of St. Mark's, and paused to admire the exterior 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

beauty of the widely-heralded structure, the Church 
of San Marco. The edifice is Byzantine in design, 
with touches of the Gothic, and is considered by 
connoisseurs perfect as an example of the delicately- 
colored architecture of the East. 

Above the main doorway are the four colossal 
bronze horses which Dandolo brought to Venice 
after the conquest of Constantinople early in the 
thirteenth century. The interesting history associ- 
ated with them is typical of well-nigh everything 
connected with the Church of San Marco. 

These horses, Greco-Roman in origin, are among 
the finest of antique bronzes, and it is believed are 
the only existing specimen of an ancient quadriga. 
They probably crowned the triumphal arch of 
Nero, and afterward that of Trajan. Constan- 
tine sent them to adorn the Imperial Hippodrome 
at Constantinople, whence Dandolo brought them 
to Venice in 1202 as the spoils of war. They were 
carried away by Napoleon to Paris in 1797, and re- 
stored to Venice in 1815 by Francis of Austria. 

The whole interior of St. Mark's is, we might 
say, an encyclopedia of history, tradition, and sen- 
timent expressed in mosaics, paintings, sculptures 
and carvings by world-famous masters; exceed- 
ingly beautiful to behold; intensely interesting to 
consider, but quite impossible to describe. 

The lower parts of the walls are richly embel- 
lished with Oriental marbles, while the upper por- 
tions and the vaultings are covered with mosaics 

87 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

on a background of gold. These mosaics, aggre- 
gating over forty-five thousand square feet, give 
an admirable survey of the development of this 
art since the tenth century. St. Mark's was the 
state church of the republic. Here the doges were 
crowned, and on festival occasions the authorities 
attended service in full state. 

Possibly the most impressive feature, humanly 
speaking — whether it be fact or legend — is the tomb 
of St. Mark, whose body, according to tradition, 
was transferred to Venice from Alexandria in the 
year 829. In this connection Ruskin says : "That 
the Venetians possessed themselves of his body in 
the ninth century there appears no reason to 
doubt; and however we may regard the story, it 
cannot be denied that the belief in it by the Ven- 
etians and others attracted crowds of pious pilgrims 
to the Rialto, and thus increased the traffic and 
prestige of the port, while the Venetians adopted 
St. Mark as their patron saint, and their war-cry, 
'Viva San Marco!' inspired their courage in many a 
fight on sea and land." 

Near by the tomb is a huge block of red granite, 
brought here from Tyre, upon which Jesus is sup- 
posed to have sat when he delivered his immortal 
beatitudes — The Sermon on the Mount. 

To mortal sense the place seems so sacred, so 
holy, that one feels impelled to uncover one's head 
and remove one's sandals. This feeling, however, 
soon gives place to one more spiritualized, for we 




MRS. KATHRYN HEATON PECK 
Ambassador from California 








MRS. WILLIAM GRANT BROWN 

Ambassador from New York 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

know that it is the living Christ, Truth, that uplifts 
and redeems the world, not the dead body of any 
saint, however holy, even though he walked with 
Jesus in the flesh ! The crowning work of the min- 
istry of Christ Jesus on earth, as the writer under- 
stands it, was to annul the law of bondage to erring 
human beliefs ; to set free the captives of sense, by 
teaching humanity the nothingness of matter and 
the allness of Spirit. 

Familiar Bible stories are told in rich mosaics; 
beautiful conceptions are portrayed in oils; ex- 
quisite altars, where candles burn continually, are 
scattered throughout the building, while hundreds 
of columns in precious marbles reveal the fact that 
the earth has yielded her rarest treasures in the 
way of adornment, and the greatest artists and 
sculptors of their time have paid the tribute of their 
genius to the truly wonderful Church of San Marco. 

We passed from the church into the courtyard 
of the Palace of the Doges. We loitered here a few 
moments to peer down into two old wells, dating 
from the years 1556 and 1559, respectively. Rims 
of highly ornamented bronze encircle the tops of 
these wells and, though they are not now in use, it 
is interesting to look down into their cool depths 
and know that more than three hundred years ago 
the rulers of Venice quaffed daily of their crystal 
flow. 

We climbed the richly-carved Scala dei Giganto, 
the splendid flight of steps leading to the first bal- 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

cony of the palace, and which derives its name from 
the gigantic statues of Mars and Neptune which 
adorn it. This stairway was built by Rizzo, and on 
its top landing, in the latter days of the republic, 
the Doges of Venice were crowned. 

As we paused here on the worn stone flagging, 
where the very atmosphere seemed to whisper of 
peace and serenity, we realized that we were stand- 
ing upon the exact spot where, more than five hun- 
dred years ago, occurred one of the supreme trage- 
dies of Venice — the beheading of Marino Falieri ! 

The whole story is spectacular. Falieri, at the 
age of seventy years, was elected Doge of Venice, 
he being the third of his name to be thus honored. 
A mighty man of affairs, he had long been a power 
in all matters Venetian. He is said, though, to have 
been possessed of an ungovernable temper, and it 
is related of him that he once slapped the face of 
a bishop ! This, however, was not the incident that 
led to his downfall. A young patrician, it seems, 
cherishing a grudge against the venerable doge, 
circulated a slanderous report involving the fair 
name of the latter's beautiful young wife. The pun- 
ishment of the young noble, meted out by a 
patrician tribunal, did not satisfy the doge's sense 
of outraged ducal dignity, and he organized an 
audacious plot in which he purposed to overthrow 
the republic and assume sovereign rights himself. 
This far-reaching conspiracy was revealed on the 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

very eve of its intended execution, and Falieri was 
arrested and promptly put to death by decapitation. 

Looking down into the great court of the palace, 
we could almost conjure up a vision of the tragic 
spectacle, as the doge enters in his ducal robes in 
procession with the Council of Ten, and other 
patricians, attended by the guards. 

The outer gates are closed against the people. 
Slowly the imperial-like procession proceeds up the 
giant stairway to the spot where but a year before 
the doge had been crowned, and where the execu- 
tioner now stands with sword in hand. The chief 
of the ten removes the ducal cap from his head. 

At this point Byron, in his forceful drama, 

"Marino Falieri, Doge of Venice," makes Falieri 

say: 

"So now the Doge is nothing, and at last 
I am again Marino Falieri: 
'Tis well to be so though but for a moment: 
Here was I crowned, and here, bear witness 
Heaven! with how much more contentment 
I resign that shining mockery, the ducal crown, 
Than I received the fatal bauble!" 

In the hall of the Great Council, which contains 
the portraits of all the doges, the space allotted to 
that of Falieri is draped with a veil of sable and 
bears the following inscription : 

"Hie est locus Marini Faletro, decapitati pro 
criminibus." 

The palace, which has been five times destroyed 
by fire, is in keeping with the dignity of its purpose, 
as the seat of government of the republic. The 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

whole building is today a treasure-house of history, 
literature and art. The great rooms are a succes- 
sion of art galleries, libraries and museums, where 
one should spend weeks instead of an hour or two. 
We passed from floor to floor, from room to room, 
each one telling its own particular story. The 
Chamber of the Council of Ten perhaps impressed 
us most. Here we noted the two doors that meant 
so much to the prisoner called before the council 
to receive his sentence. Through one of these the 
acquitted passed to liberty; through the other the 
condemned passed over the Bridge of Sighs to in- 
carceration or death ! 

It is hardly possible to make mention of any spe- 
cial work of art where there is such profusion of 
subjects so skilfully handled, but, personally, the 
canvas representing the "Marriage of Venice and 
the Adriatic," by Titian, was strong in its appeal, as 
was also the "Gloria in Paradise," by Tintoretta. 
The last-mentioned occupies one entire wall of the 
Senate Chamber, and is said to be the largest can- 
vas in the world. It is thirty-two by eighty-four 
feet. 

We passed again into the Square of St. Mark's 
just as the clock on the Torre dell Orologio clanged 
the hour of twelve. The mechanism of this clock 
is wonderful. In addition to the register of the dial, 
which is itself a work of rare ingenuity, it counts 
the passing hours upon a huge bell on top of the 
tower. Here two colossal Moors, in bronze, stand 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

on opposite sides of the bell, and, with sturdy, alter- 
nate strokes, beat off the fleeting hours of time, 
day after day. 

It was high noon and time for us to return to our 
hotel. 

Immediately after luncheon a fleet of gondolas 
lined up at the hotel landing to bear us away for 
an afternoon sail on the highways and byways of 
Venice. 

For hours we drifted lazily over the placid la- 
goons and drowsy canals. We stopped at various 
places of interest, including the Maria Delia Salute 
Church, dating far back into the sleeping centuries, 
filled with works of art and teeming with historic 
interest. 

But we have seen paintings, sculptures, mosaics 
and antiquities until their appeal is weakening. 
We would rather nestle down among the soft cush- 
ions of our romantic craft and just listen to the 
lap of the waves and the dip of the oar; just revel 
in the scene of beauty all about us ; just drift along 
past the old, old palaces and drink in the perfume 
of the red oleanders which thrust their riotous 
blossoms exultantly over the low walls of the 
Canalazzo. 

So we wove our own little rosary of dreams as 
we passed palace after palace, many of them claim- 
ing special note. One is the home of Desdemona, 
made famous by Shakespeare in "The Merchant of 
Venice," and said to be haunted by a dusky-hued 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

ghost armed with a pillow; another housed Lord 
Byron while his muse was wooing him to sing of 
this city of the sea; another claims the Brownings, 
while still another bears the distinction of having 
received under its roof Henry III of Poland. Our 
gondolier imparted these bits of information in 
broken English, made musical by his soft Italian 
accent. 

We landed at the Rialto and wandered along its 
little shops and market places; took a cooling 
draught from a well centuries old, and gave a 
skeptical glance toward the famous bridge where, 
tradition says, the shade of Shylock oft appears. 

We visited the old Jesuit Church in an old, old 
part of the city, and got a brief glimpse of "the other 
side" of life. As we sailed along in this quarter 
we passed a rickety old gondola in which were four 
small urchins ; the oldest, about nine, bravely trying 
to steer his unruly craft with a broken oar. We be- 
seeched our gondolier to help him. But he only 
smiled and splashed the small adventurers with a 
shower of drops from his own oar. It seemed 
heartless to let them drift further and further out 
from the shore; but perhaps he knows the aquatic 
skill of Venetian youngsters better than does the 
writer, who declares that if she had a family of 
children in Venice, she would insure their lives to 
the limit and turn them loose, convinced she never 
could raise them ! The fate of those tiny cruisers 
will always remain a mystery. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

On and on we floated until the breeze began to 
stiffen, the ripples expanded into small billows, 
over which our gondola skimmed like a black- 
winged bird. We were getting a little too near the 
open sea for a gondola with one oar. We were glad 
when our conductor signaled for our return to 
more placid waters. 

As we neared the point from which we started, 
we turned from the Grand Canal into the narrow 
water-lane between the Palace of the Doges and 
the prison. As we passed under the Bridge of Sighs 
connecting these buildings, we were attracted by a 
voice of unusual sweetness. There underneath the 
over-arching bridge lounged a gondolier, with cap 
in hand, his dark hair curling about his moist tem- 
ples, evidently resting after a hard row on the 
canal. He was singing a snatch of Italian opera 
with a voice worthy of Caruso. "A singer lost to 
the world !" I mentally exclaimed. Yet, who knows 
but those liquid notes were wafting to some weary, 
saddened soul in the grim old prison, a message of 
inspiration and love? 

We closed our day with a visit to the glass works. 
This is perhaps the most important industry of 
Venice. Thousands of workers are engaged in the 
manufacture of beads, mirrors, silver filagrees, 
ornamental glasswares and novelties of all kinds 
and descriptions. We added a few final souvenirs 
to our already long list, simply because the wares 
were irresistible. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

It was our last night in Venice. Reluctantly we 
prepared for our departure in the morning.' We 
understand, of course, that Venice today is but a 
reflection, so to speak, of her former glory. But we 
had two delightful days in a city whose life is like 
a dream, and whose history is like a romance. 



96 




BOOK NUMBER NINE 

mttatun t\\t Pains nf Snmbarbjj 

N Wednesday morning, June twenty-fifth, 
we left Venice for Milan, a very modern 
electric launch bearing us swiftly over 
the waters of the Grand Canal to the railway sta- 
tion. 

The train passed out over the long concrete 
bridge which connects Venice with the mainland, 
and which reminds one somewhat of the Lucian 
cut-off across Salt Lake, in our own country. 
Reaching the terminus of the bridge, from which 
we wafted a final good-bye to Venice, we soon real- 
ized that Italy is the home of the grape, the olive, 
the pomegranite and many other delicious fruits. 

There is an air of thrift and comfort and age 
everywhere. The orchards are pruned in a way 
that prevents the wide, branching of the trees, and 
the grape-vines, set in line with them, are so 
trained that they swing in graceful festoons from 
tree to tree, making a continuous hedge of green 
foliage. The trees are set at regular intervals of 
space and the ground between them planted to 
wheat, clover, melons, berries and vegetables. The 
highways are bordered by stately Lombardy pop- 
lars and fruitful mulberry trees. The houses, soft- 
ened by the sun of many summers, are roofed with 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

red tiles, and set, as they are, amid orchards, vine- 
yards and gardens, and canopied over by sunny, 
southern skies, they make a pleasing picture sug- 
gestive of peace, plenty and contentment. 

We reached Milan just before noon, and were 
soon comfortably settled in our hotel, enjoying let- 
ters from home — which, by the way, through the 
promptness and efficiency of the Cook service, al- 
ways greeted us at every stopping place. 

Immediately after luncheon, our party, with 
guide, seated in two large tallyhos, started out to 
tour the city. The writer climbed up into the seat 
with the driver, who was resplendent in his hand- 
some liveries, but who, unfortunately, could speak 
scarcely a word of English. He was, however, an 
excellent whip and knew exactly how to hold the 
reins over his somewhat restive horses. 

The view from this vantage point was so satis- 
fying that ever afterward "a seat with the driver" 
was held at a premium. 

Our first stop was at the great Cathedral. Here 
my pen would stop also, impotent to portray its 
wondrous beauty. The great structure seems the 
final word in the art of architecture — a dream 
wrought out in pure white marble, ethereal-looking 
as alabaster. Though massive and of huge propor- 
tions, one can scarcely believe it the work of human 
hands, the conception of human brains; but rather, 
that it arose at the wave of an enchanter's wand, or 
at the magic touch of Alladin's wonderful lamp. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

This exquisitely beautiful edifice, Gothic in style 
of architecture, was begun in the last quarter of the 
fourteenth century, from designs by an unknown 
architect; but during its erection many of the 
greatest architects of Europe contributed designs 
for its embellishment. It is crowned with a dome 
and innumerable turrets, which, with its two thou- 
sand marble statues, produce an impression well- 
nigh overpowering. 

In point of size it ranks third among the great 
cathedrals of Europe, being exceeded only by St. 
Peter's at Rome and the far-famed Cathedral of 
Seville. Some conception of the magnitude of the 
structure may be gained from the fact that it is 
capable of accommodating thirty thousand people. 
It was here that the First Napoleon, in 1805, was 
crowned King of Italy. 

The interior, which is supported by fifty-two mar- 
ble columns eleven feet in diameter, contains much 
that is beautiful, much that is interesting. 

The windows are marvels of artistic beauty, 
which must be seen to be appreciated. Even then 
one cannot fully realize the vast outlay of money, 
genius, patience and labor they represent. 

There are numerous altars, all of them rich and 
beautiful and each one sacred to some particular 
saint, to the Virgin Mary, or to the Christ Child. 

There are many fine paintings and sculptures, 
also objects of great antiquity. We noted a cruci- 
fix which was carried by Carlo Borromeo during 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

the plague of 1576. In the transept hangs a fine 
bronze candelabra of the thirteenth century. 
There are monuments and sarcophagi of three arch- 
bishops dating from the eleventh, thirteenth and 
fourteenth centuries. Everything, indeed, is redo- 
lent of the past, and of reverence for ancient tradi- 
tions. 

It is difficult for a person of liberated thought to un- 
derstand, in this enlightened twentieth century, the 
tenacity with which many pious people of Europe 
hold on to the legends of bygone centuries. Some 
of them seem in veritable bondage to beliefs that 
the average American would not entertain seriously 
for a moment. 

For instance, in wandering through this splendid 
cathedral — with which I frankly confess we have 
nothing in the United States to compare — I paused 
in front of a statue whose drapery seemed quite un- 
usual. Our guide hastened to explain that the fig- 
ure was that of Saint Bartholomew, and related 
how the good saint had been flayed alive, and that 
he simply draped his skin about him, wearing it 
as a garment, and continued to preach the gospel 
for three days before passing on to another plane 
of existence ! 

The whole cathedral, though, is so beautiful 
within and without, that one does not wonder 
that the citizens of Milan consider it the eighth 
wonder of the world. As we took a final sweeping 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

look at its glorious interior we found ourself sing- 
ing with Tennyson : 



"O, Milan, O, the chanting choirs: 
The giant windows blazoned fires: 

The height, the depth, the gloom, the glory! 
A mount of marble, a hundred spires!" 



Some of us climbed the stairway to the roof and, 
as the day was fine and clear, we obtained a mag- 
nificent view not only of the city and its environs, 
but of the Bernese Alps — Monte Rosa, Mont Blanc, 
St. Bernhard and St. Gothard — all bathed in the 
glory of the mid-day sun. We came down to terra 
firma feeling well repaid for our somewhat arduous 
climb. 

While the cathedrals, museums, and art galleries 
are the pieces de resistance, as it were, in nearly 
all European cities, and are, therefore, the first 
places of interest shown to tourists, still the cities 
themselves, as great foreign municipalities, are ex- 
tremely interesting to American travelers. 

A drive along the somewhat narrow though well- 
kept streets of Milan reveals on every hand evi- 
dences of the city's wealth and prosperity. It ac- 
centuates, too, the art instinct of the citizens, for 
one comes upon striking monuments and exquisite 
bits of statuary in the most unexpected places. I 
have never seen more beautiful parks and public 
gardens than those of this capital city, suggesting, 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

as they do, the love of the people for the great out- 
of-doors which the climate of Italy makes so de- 
lightful. 

After a brisk drive we stopped in the Corso 
Magenta to visit the Dominican Church of Santa 
Maria delle Gragie, a Gothic brick structure of the 
fifteenth century. The choir and the sixteen-sided 
dome were designed by Bramonte. The elegant 
main portal, the elaborate external decoration of 
the lower part of the building, also due to Bra- 
monte, are said to be among the most charming cre- 
ations of the early Renaissance. 

What interested us most, however, was a door 
opening into the refectory of the convent, marked 
"Cenacolo Vinciano," for we knew that beyond its 
threshold we would behold one of the world's mas- 
terpieces of art, the celebrated "Last Supper" of 
Leonardo Da Vinci. 

This famous picture painted in oil on the wall in 
the refectory of the Santa Maria delle Gragie, was 
executed in 1497, when the artist was forty-five 
years of age. 

Of course, time in its flight has laid a blighting 
touch upon the great painting. It has been restored 
at intervals by different artists, and in 1908 the 
painting was carefully cleaned and renewed and the 
colors fixed with mastic by Cavanaghi. Here in the 
same room are exhibited a collection of Raffael 
Morghen's wonderful engravings; also numerous 
photographs, as well as several contemporaneous 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

copies of the famous painting, some of which are 
most excellent. 

The original alone, however, portrays to the full 
extent the emotion which Da Vinci intended to ex- 
press, and which even the very best copies fail to 
reproduce. 

There is a fascination altogether indescribable 
about this picture. It is so very realistic; the ex- 
pression on each face so marvelous ; the individual 
treatment of each figure so wonderful, that instead 
of its being a painting centuries old, one can almost 
believe it to be the living group gathered about the 
sacred board, the disciples listening in dismay to 
the startling speech which falls from the lips of 
their beloved Master: 

"One of you shall betray me." 

As one studies this great master work of art, one 
stands, in fancy, in that quiet Upper Room in 
Jerusalem where the Passover is being eaten, at 
the close of a day in early spring, nearly nineteen 
hundred years ago. The wine and bread have been 
blessed and partaken of, and Jesus, with sorrowful 
face and downcast eyes, has revealed the pathetic 
fact that one of his chosen band is a traitor! "Is 
it I?" is the question each one is asking, even to 
Judas, with the betrayal price of thirty pieces of silver 
already in his possession. 

The whole attitude of the Master, the position of 
His arms, the outstretched palms of His hands, His 
resignation, His silence, all seem to accentuate His 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

mournful declaration : "One of you shall betray me !" 
The appeal of the picture, with its power and its pathos, 
is altogether inexpressible. 

As an evidence of how the people of Milan love 
and revere this precious art treasure, we are told 
that during an invasion of the French, the painting 
was whitewashed to conceal its presence and to pro- 
tect it from disaster. The same spirit still inspires 
those in charge today to use every means of pre- 
serving it for posterity. 

It has been said of Leonardo Da Vinci that his 
genius was universal. One can readily believe that 
this is true when one considers that while his works 
in art are classed with those of Raphael and Michael 
Angelo, he was also sculptor, architect, engineer, 
inventor, anatomist, botanist, mathematician, as- 
tronomer, poet and musician ! He seems, indeed, to 
have grasped truth by intuition, and knowledge by 
preternatural revelation. 

At an easel in this refectory we noticed an artist 
busily working on an unfinished copy of the Last 
Supper. In fact, we found in nearly all the art 
galleries of Europe, artists, some of them Ameri- 
can, studying and reproducing the old masterpieces. 

We next visited the old church of St. Ambrozio. 
This is a Romanesque basilica of the twelfth cen- 
tury, but dating back to the fourth century, to the 
time of Saint Ambrose, who erected it on the re- 
mains of the old Roman temple devoted, it is said, 
to Bacchus, the god of wine. The church was 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

founded in 386 and dedicated to Saints Gervasius 
and Protosius by St. Ambrose, who, according to 
ancient tradition, baptized St. Augustine here in the 
year 387. It was rebuilt by the Benedictines in 
800, but of their work nothing remains today except 
the Chancel and the Campanile dei Monaci. The 
main part of the church was rebuilt in the twelfth 
century. 

The interior is decorated with a number of beau- 
tiful frescoes by noted Italian artists, and contains 
a fine old altar which has been preserved intact 
through all the vicissitudes of the building, and is 
a treasure of great antiquity. This, with scenes 
from the life of David, dates from the time of St. 
Ambrose. 

One of the many objects of interest seen here is 
a very magnificent white marble statue of Pope 
Pius IX. Not only are the pose and the expression 
of the great prelate wonderfully natural and life- 
like, but his flowing robe involves an intricate pat- 
tern of lacje which is wrought so exquisitely that 
it suggests the needle rather than the chisel. As 
we considered the delicacy of this work we could only 
wonder at the technical skill and the infinite pa- 
tience of the sculptor who could thus visualize the 
picture which he, with artist eye, could see impris- 
oned in the heart of the unchiseled marble. 

The modernized crypt contains a silver reliquary 
in which are preserved the bones of the founder, 
St. Ambrose, together with those of Saints Ger- 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

vasius and Protosius, to whom the church was dedi- 
cated. 

Our guide stated that it is purposed, in the near 
future, to remove all disfiguring environments and 
establish here a museum. It was in this church 
that the German emperors were crowned kings of 
Italy. 

Milan abounds in churches worthy of note, but 
our time was short and there was much to see. So 
we started for a drive about the city, which included 
a spin through a most delightful park, and along 
the beautiful thoroughfares. 

We made a brief stop at the Castle Sforzesco, 
which has been recently restored by the commune 
and the generosity of private individuals. This cas- 
tle is full of historic interest and means much to 
the liberty-loving Italians. We next viewed the 
Arena, an immense amphitheatre, erected in 1805 by 
the order of Napoleon. It was designed by Luigi 
Cavonica, and seats thirty thousand spectators. 
The Door of Triumph leading into this arena is 
richly carved, showing a motif of typical antique 
games. 

We paused a little further on before the beautiful 
Arch of Peace, long enough to admire it and to pho- 
tograph it. This great gateway was constructed 
from designs of the architect Cagnola and was 
dedicated to Napoleon. The arch was inaugurated 
in 1838 by Ferdinand I of Austria, preserver of the 
peace. In 1859, Lombardy being freed from Aus- 

106 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

tria, the inscriptions sculptured on the arch under 
Ferdinand were canceled and the present ones put 
in their place. 

The Statue of Peace, which crowns this arch, is 
exceedingly beautiful. Peace is represented by a 
woman, in bronze, standing in a chariot, holding 
an olive branch aloft in her hand. The chariot is 
drawn by six splendid bronze horses, and is flanked 
on either side by a single horseman, also in bronze. 

These horses, like those of Dandolo at Venice, 
are said to have had a somewhat spectacular career 
before they gained a permanent resting place upon 
this beautiful triumphal arch. They are one of the 
chief works of the noted sculptor, Sangiorgio. 

We proceeded from here to the Monumental 
Cemetery, the finest Campi Santi in Italy, and which 
is certainly unlike anything we have ever seen. It 
contains fifty acres and is enclosed by long colon- 
nades. 

Here the Italian love of art seems to run riot. 
The whole enclosure is like a mammoth exposition 
of statuary, showing the marvelous technique and 
versatility of Milanese sculptors. 

These monuments need not, and seldom do, refer 
to the entombed bodies, but are allowed the widest 
latitude as to the sentiments they express, and may 
be erected by anyone who chooses to do so. They 
embody and display every conceivable fancy, and 
I must say they do much to eliminate that sense 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

of glqom which so often broods over these silent 
cities of the dead. 

Some idea of the diversity of subjects repre- 
sented may be gained by the mention of one par- 
ticular monument. It is an immense boulder of 
red granite upon which oxen, life-size and carved 
out of the same stone, are yoked together to a crude 
plow, with which a sturdy pioneer, also of the gran- 
ite, and life size, is laboriously breaking up the vir- 
gin sod of some new country. If it were in the 
United States it would suggest the vast prairies of 
Texas, but Australia is the country indicated. The 
monument was erected at the cost of thousands of 
dollars, by a man who had made a princely fortune 
in subduing the soil of an alien land, which achieve- 
ment this wonderfully and fearfully made monu- 
ment will commemorate for many a year, and 
which, incidentally, may inspire other ambitious 
young men to "go and do likewise." 

Some of the tombs are adorned with life-size por- 
traits of their occupants and in other unusual ways, 
but it is the infinite variety of monuments placed 
here that makes the Campi Santi so intensely in- 
teresting, and, while the subjects of some of them 
are quite out of the ordinary, they are all really 
works of art. 

We returned to the hotel late in the afternoon, 
where we, as peace ambassadors, were received by 
Mr. Theodore Ernesto Moneta, Madame Rosalia 
Gwis Adami and other prominent peace advocates. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Mr. Moneta is a member of the Peace Commission 
of Berne, Switzerland ; former editor of "II Sicolo," 
and president of the Union Lombarda, a large and 
strong peace organization which, in 1906, made the 
arrangements for the Seventeenth International 
Peace Congress. He made an eloquent and inspir- 
ing address, which was heartily responded to by 
members of our embassy. 

Mr. Moneta was followed by Madame Adami, of 
Milan, who is president of a large peace society of 
young women of Italy, and which she is trying to 
extend to the United States and other countries. 
She is also an officer of the Italian Government for 
instruction in the French language. Madame 
Adami, too, is very eloquent and exceedingly zeal- 
ous in the peace movement. 

It is indeed gratifying to realize that the desire 
for peace is becoming not only international, but 
universal; and who so eminently fitted to plead 
for it as women ! Upon them fall most heavily the 
burdens and ravages of war! We stand aghast 
when we contemplate the tremendous cost, the stu- 
pendous waste, the unspeakable sacrifice of war, in 
money, resource and human life! 

We felt proud that we had been delegated to 
bring a message of peace and good will to the wom- 
en of Europe, whom we find are looking to Ameri- 
can women for help and inspiration along all lines 
of endeavor tending toward human betterment, 
and, as we parted with our distinguished co-workers 

109 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

for world-wide peace, we realized that a new and 
beautiful link had been forged in the chain of 
brotherhood and sisterhood of humanity. 

After dinner we enjoyed a stroll through the fa- 
mous Arcade, with its brilliant shops and cafes, and 
where tourists have such favorable opportunity to 
part with their money. There is a peculiar fascina- 
tion about these cozy-looking arcades one finds in 
all European cities. Sheltered alike from the glare 
of the sun and the fall of the rain, they provide a 
pleasing promenade any time of the day or night, 
regardless of the weather. This one is a favorite 
evening resort, and, on account of its gay and bril- 
liant appearance, is called the "Little Paris." 

Milan is a very attractive city as well as a great 
commercial center of over half a million population. 
It ranks second in size of Italian cities, Naples 
ranking first and Rome third. The city is almost 
circular in form and has a circuit of approximately 
eight miles. It is enclosed on three sides with walls 
and low ramparts and is entered by ten gates. 

Although Milan is a city of great antiquity, the 
numerous conflicts in which it has been engaged, 
the calamitous wars by which it has been sacked 
and ravaged, have destroyed nearly all buildings of 
an earlier period than the thirteenth century, and 
have swept away well-nigh all indications of its 
connection with the Romans, by whom it was con- 
quered in the year 222 B. C. Demolished more 
than once, it has risen each time, phoenix-like, with 

110 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

greater splendor than before. Neither the struggles 
of Roman times, the wars of the Middle Ages, the 
misrule of the Spanish, nor the suppression of 
Napoleon, have retarded more than temporarily the 
growth and prosperity of this perennial city. 

The remarkable geographical situation of Milan, 
in the fruit-belt of Lombardy, near the great roads 
and passes that connect Italy with other countries 
of Europe, assures it a permanent share in the pros- 
perity of the continent — a share greatly augmented 
in recent years by the opening of the St. Gothard 
Railway. 

In religion, the Milanese have developed a spirit 
of freedom and independence which does not con- 
form to the extreme claims of the Roman See, but 
favors a reformed Catholicism more in keeping with 
advanced religious thought, and a deeper sense of 
spiritual awakening. 

We saw much, learned much, and enjoyed much 
in our short stay in Milan, and only regretted we 
could not tarry longer within the gates of that 
charming old-new city in the fruitful plains of Lom- 
bardy. 



Ill 




BOOK NUMBER TEN 

HURSDAY morning, June twenty-sixth, we 
left Milan, by way of the St. Gothard Rail- 
way and the Swiss Alps, for Lucerne, Swit- 
zerland. 

Those of us who have traveled extensively in the 
great West of our own country have often marveled 
at the wonderful feats of engineering that are in 
evidence throughout the Rocky Mountains. We 
can, therefore, understand in a measure what it 
meant to build the St. Gothard Railway. 

This road, which is one of the main arteries of 
continental traffic, is one hundred and seventy-two 
miles long and includes in its construction seventy- 
six tunnels, skilfully cut through the solid rock, and 
three hundred and twenty-four bridges of more 
than thirty-foot span. 

The road was commenced in 1872, was completed 
in 1882, and became state property in 1909. It is 
considered one of the most stupendous accomplish- 
ments in engineering of the nineteenth century, 
and represents an outlay of two hundred and ninety 
million francs, or fifty-eight million dollars, Ameri- 
can money. 

Passing as it does through the very heart of the 
Swiss Alps, a panorama of scenic splendor, varying 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

from picturesqueness to sublimity and grandeur, 
unfolded itself continuously before us. Indeed, we 
found it quite impossible to keep our seats in our 
compartments, but stood in line before the windows 
in the long corridor of our car, that we might enjoy 
an uninterrupted view of the magnificent land- 
scapes through which we were passing. 

From high bridges, and steep curves around 
sheer mountain sides, we looked far down upon 
peaceful villages and hamlets nestled in the valleys 
'mid tiny orchards and gardens ; or looked up and 
saw rollicking waterfalls leaping down from dizzy 
heights, in "the very joy of recklessness and daring. 

At frequent intervals we skirted along the shores 
of beautiful Alpine lakes, looking like mammoth 
jewels of turquoise set in rims of emeralds, and re- 
flecting in their liquid depths the azure glory of the 
June-day skies. We realized anew that nothing, 
indeed, is "so rare as a day in June" — especially 
when viewed from a train de lutfCj amid the ever- 
shifting scenes of the Swiss Alps. 

The ride is practically an all-day one, but our 
train, an unusually fine one, carried a diner and our 
temporal wants were abundantly provided for. 

Late in the afternoon, as we neared the St. 
Gothard tunnel, which is virtually a spiral stair- 
way nine miles long, requiring twenty minutes to 
pass through, a slight sense of nervousness became 
manifest amongst some of our party. In the mean- 
time the mountains had assumed a more stern and 

113 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

forbidding aspect, and seemed to close in upon us 
on every side. One or two timid ones predicted 
what an awful catastrophe it would be should our 
train break down in the middle of the great tunnel, 
in the very heart of the mountain! But why con- 
sider calamities that never happen? Besides, free- 
dom from accidents has given the continental rail- 
roads a splendid reputation for safety — a reputation 
very conducive to the pleasures of foreign travel. 

In order to give more breathing space to others 
in our compartment while all windows must be 
closed, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Peck and myself wended 
our way into the dining car a few minutes before 
time for the train to dart into the darkness of the 
great spiral tube. There was so much room in the 
diner, and — shall I confess it? — the presence of two 
or three gentlemen actually radiated a wonderful 
atmosphere of security. 

We ordered a delightful little luncheon, which 
was served at exactly the right moment; so paying 
no attention to the outer darkness or to the smoke- 
veiled windows, we kept the spirit of good cheer 
flowing so lively that almost before we were aware 
of it, we were again out in the open and had en- 
joyed every moment of the dark passage. 

But, as I looked out over the haughty, snow- 
capped peaks, and noted the little farmsteads 
wedged in the winding valleys at their base, sug- 
gesting such dreary isolation, my heart went out in 
sympathy for these lonely mountain folk, whose life 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

must, necessarily, be hard and narrow. I tried to 
put myself in their place and, realizing how intoler- 
able the situation would be, I said to my compan- 
ions : "This has been a delightful day, and I have 
fairly reveled in the wonderful scenery through 
which we have passed, but I tell you now, girls, I 
would not live here for anything in the world!" 

A gentleman sitting at the next table, and whose 
speech betrayed his American nationality, expressed 
himself along the same lines as follows: 

"I see where you are right, lady. I was just 
thinking to myself that if I had to spend the balance 
of my life here I would want to start to Heaven 
tonight !" 

It had, however, been a glorious day, a day spent 
close — almost too close — to the heart of nature; a 
day that sort of subdues one into moods of intro- 
spection and seriousness of thought. 

We reached Lucerne before sundown. Carriages 
were waiting at the station to convey us to our 
hotel. As we entered our rooms, which were im- 
maculately clean and homey-looking, we were glad 
to see the soft covers of down across the foot of 
our beds, for, though it was June, it was cold 
enough to appreciate and be grateful for the steam- 
heat which was turned on for our benefit. 

Lucerne might be termed the hub of tourist travel 
in Switzerland. It is a center from which radiate 
many delightful sight-seeing trips. Possessing di- 
rect communication with all parts of Europe, and 

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V/OMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

lying in the most charming section of the Alpine 
country, it is easily reached, and travelers are en- 
abled to get to all places of importance with com- 
parative ease. 

It is, though, its own picturesque situation, at the 
head of the beautiful Lake Lucerne — the Lake of 
Four Cantons — that makes it such an inviting spot, 
not only for a day or two, but for a whole season's 
sojourn. 

The view of the mountains across the blue waters 
of the lake is exceedingly fine. The nearer ranges 
include the Rigikulm, the Pilatus and other famous 
peaks, while beyond these tower the immortal 
snows of the higher Alps. 

Of all the Alpine peaks, that of the Jungfrau is 
the queenliest. A fascinating legend enshrines this 
virgin peak and all of this beautiful Alpine country. 
It is one that never loses its charm for tourists. 
Though very ancient, it passes current each year 
in the summer hotels of Switzerland. The fable 
runs as follows: 

"When Adam and Eve were driven from Paradise 
in disgrace, God decided to remove this Eden- 
garden away from the earth. He called His mes- 
sengers, the angels, and bade them lift it up, with 
everything it contained, and carry it from one end 
of the earth to the other, before bringing it back 
to Heaven, that the human race might learn to 
know what they had lost through the sin of their 
first parents. The angels obeyed the Lord's behest. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

They lifted it up by its four corners and carried it 
from land to land, from continent to continent. 
Wherever they went the sky assumed a deeper 
azure blue; the stars shone with more brilliancy; 
glad warmth, and bright lights were shed from Par- 
adise on the earth ; innocence and happiness reigned 
supreme, and grief and sin disappeared. The people 
bewailed Eve's temptation and Adam's fall ; they 
lifted up their hands to God in prayer, and implored 
Him to restore to them one little bunch of flowers 
from the heavenly realm they had lost. 

"But the Ruler of the Universe was deeply 
grieved over the sin of His children. He turned 
a deaf ear to their entreaties and bade His angels 
to carry away the Garden of Eden. 

"On their way the white-winged messengers 
reached Switzerland. They saw the crystal brooks 
dance from rock to rock. The meadows were in 
bloom, and the people lived peacefully and con- 
tentedly in their wooden cottages, and looked ador- 
ingly up to the lofty glacier peaks. All was pure 
and serene, and the angels wondered as they looked 
down on the earth and tarried and rested in their 
flight. 

" 'See how the world smiles,' said one to the 
other. 'The mountains are clad in the mantle of 
chastity; the meadows have donned the garb of 
hope; love's heart-blood hangs in burning drops 
from the vines that cover the hillsides, and the 
pretty land opens its great blue eyes!' 

117 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

"They were talking of the beautiful lakes. The 
angels were gazing so intently, that in their eager 
admiration they dropped one corner of the sheet in 
which they carried Paradise, and ere they could 
prevent it, a piece of Eden beauty, blooming, fra- 
grant and sparkling, had dropped down on the 
earth between the lakes, at the foot of the Jungfrau. 
It clung to her girdle, and smiled up sweetly into 
the angel faces, until they departed, loth to gather 
up the treasures they had spilled. The Ruler of 
the Universe was satisfied and said : 'Let it remain 
where it is. I will make another corner, and the 
careless cherub, who has allowed it to drop, shall 
all his life sit down and mend the torn shreds.' " 

In view of such delightful natural scenery one 
can almost fancy the legend of Paradise truth 
rather than fable ; for one surrenders almost uncon- 
sciously to the sweet intoxication that holds the 
senses spellbound. 

The city of Lucerne is divided by the sea-tinted 
River Reuss, which is spanned by several bridges. 
The first and largest of these bridges is the See 
Brucke, commanding a splendid view of town and 
lake; also connecting at one end with the fashion- 
able promenade of the place. But the most inter- 
esting bridge from the tourist standpoint is the 
quaint old Kapell Brucke, roofed over with dull red 
tiles and dating back many, many years. It is 
built across the river in a slanting line in order to 
withstand the pressure of the waters, which here 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

divide and swoop and swirl with great force around 
the old water tower. The under-surface of the 
roofing is adorned with pictures illustrating, in 
unique way, the early history of Lucerne. 

At half-past nine of our first morning in Lucerne 
we were ready for our scheduled sight-seeing. I 
wish to say in this connection that our conductor, 
Mr. Solbach, relieved us of all care and responsibil- 
ity and made our way pleasant and easy for us, 
and only asked that we all be ready at the appointed 
time, and thus avoid the annoying delays that even 
one tardy member may cause. I must say, though, 
the ladies were very prompt, and were usually in 
line when it was time for the caravan to "move on." 

Our journey for the day was a trip to Mt. Rigi, 
which began with a delightful sail on Lake Lucerne. 

The boat in which we took passage was admir- 
ably arranged, swift and comfortable. We took 
seats on the upper deck in order to enjoy to the ut- 
most the charming scenes spread out before us — 
the wonderful handiwork of Nature, finished and 
beautified by the versatile hand of man. 

The breeze was stiff and bracing, but with warm 
clothing, steamer coats and veils, we did not sur- 
render to the lure of warmer quarters on the deck 
below. The lake, blue as a robin's egg, broken into 
myriad dimples at the bold kiss of the wind, is 
bordered by picturesque shores adorned with villas, 
chalets, tourist hotels and summer play-grounds. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

We disembarked at the pretty village of Vitznau 
— a popular little resort place with a wealth of 
flowers snuggled in between lake and mountain- 
side. 

Here the Rigi Railway begins. We entered a 
cogwheel car and began our ascent to the top of the 
mountain. The experience is very similar to that 
of going by cog up Pike's Peak, in Colorado. The 
main difference is in the scenery, and the point of 
altitude reached — that of Mt. Rigi being much less 
than that of Pike's Peak. 

The whole way is full of interest. We started 
with the lake at one side and sheer walls of granite 
on the other. As we ascended we passed little 
meadow-lands bordered with hedgerows and 
spangled with yellow daisies, and in which Jersey 
cows, with tuneful bells, browsed knee-deep 
amongst the clover. Here we slipped through a 
tunnel, and there passed over a high bridge and 
looked far down over deep chasms of leaping water, 
fed by airy cascades with sources hid in the moun- 
tain fastness. At every wayside station young 
Swiss maidens, in peasant dress, offered us tempt- 
ing wild strawberries, edelweiss and Alpine roses. 
Through vistas of green woodlands we caught fas- 
cinating glimpses of the lake, dotted with small 
sails, looking from the heights like great white- 
winged swans. 

Tall cliffs extend far out into the water, and as 
we rose higher everything — houses, trees, even the 

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MRS. IDA L. FRINT 

Ambassador from Illinois 




MRS. MATTIE O. PEPLER 

Ambassador from Colorado 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

lake itself — seemed to lie at an angle or incline of 
about forty degrees, giving one a most peculiar 
sensation. 

As we neared the mountain-top the air became 
more and more rarified, and very perceptibly colder, 
making the warm waiting-room of the terminus sta- 
tion most gratifying. 

Unfortunately, a dense fog or cloud had settled 
down over the summit of the Rigi, which was, of 
course, a disappointment. Still, these mountain 
fogs have a way of lifting themselves very sud- 
denly, so, undismayed, some of us climbed the suc- 
cession of steps which lead to the crest, where on 
fine days a wonderful view reaching hundreds of 
miles is obtained. 

Those who made the final climb pledged them- 
selves not to reveal what they beheld, hence to 
those who preferred the cozy waiting room to a 
somewhat strenuous climb, with uncertain reward, 
a mystery still hovers over the top of Mt. Rigi ! 

Besides the cog, six mule-paths lead to the crest, 
one of them associated with the story of William Tell. 
Good hotel accommodations are provided at the 
summit for those who wish to remain overnight and 
see the sunrise. 

On our way down we stopped at a wayside inn, 
about half-way between summit and base, and were 
served a most delicious luncheon in a glass-enclosed 
dining-room looking out upon a charming scene. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

We wondered if the mountain ozone is intoxicat- 
ing, for we were in an almost hilarious mood and 
quite hungry enough to do justice to the good, 
wholesome food so appetizingly set before us. 
When we had laid down our napkins, thinking the 
last course was finished, and were about to rise 
from the table, in came our neat little waitress in 
her jaunty Swiss cap and peasant bodice, bearing in 
her hands a wonderful-looking confection in the 
form of a Swiss chalet, built of the most delicate 
pastry imaginable, and roofed over and put together 
with pure whipped cream — a veritable house of 
snow. Seeing our delight, she told us that it was 
the work of a real French chef, and was designed 
expressly in our honor. 

While we had been feasting, a sudden mountain 
shower had gathered, and we crossed the ground to 
the station in a pelting rain. This we did not at all 
mind, as most of us carried umbrellas and gladly 
shared them with those who had none. It was still 
raining when we boarded the steamer and we were 
very willing to take refuge in the warmth and com- 
fort of the cabin. 

Returning to Lucerne about three o'clock, we 
spent the remainder of the afternoon in local sight- 
seeing and shopping. 

Our conductor first guided us to the pretty little 
park, containing the famous Lion of Lucerne — a 
gigantic bit of sculpture hewn out of the solid rock 
of the mountain-side and overshadowed by great 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

forest trees. This wonderful piece of work was begun 
in 1821, through the initiative of Colonel Phyffer, by 
Ahorns, from; drawings by Thorwalsden, the great 
Danish sculptor, in commemoration of the Swiss 
Guards who fell defending the Tuileries in 1792. It 
bears this inscription : "Helvetiorum Fidei ac 
Virtuti" (Helvetia is always faithful and virtuous). 
The sculpture is a marvelous creation, a vital object 
lesson, pervaded by an overwhelming sense of pathos. 

As we looked at this majestic king of beasts in the 
supreme agony of death, the broken spear still in 
his heart; the battered shield thrown down; his 
great limp paw resting protectingly on the battle- 
flag bearing the fleur-de-lis of France, we were 
thrilled with emotion and filled with the shame and 
the pity of the stupendous human sacrifice the world 
has paid, and is still paying, to the insatiate God 
of War ! Oh, women of every nation, every clime, 
and every tongue, rise in the strength of United 
Womanhood and demand that war shall cease ! 

The old argument that women cannot bear arms, 
and which has so long been used against their full 
emancipation, cannot alter the primal fact that 
women must bear the soldiers! It is women who 
suffer most keenly from the cruelty, the barbarism 
of war, and, in my opinion, women will be the 
greatest factor in ushering in the reign of universal 
peace ! 

A word about Thorwalsden, who designed the 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Lion of Lucerne, may not be amiss as an evidence 
of the impelling force inherent in real genius. 

He was born in utter obscurity in the city of 
Copenhagen. The son of a poor ship-carpenter 
from Iceland, his first essays in art were the carving 
of figureheads in the yards where his father worked. 
Entirely uneducated though he was, his inborn 
genius for art enabled him to win the first gold 
medal for design at the Academy of Copenhagen, 
which also included the privilege of three years' 
residence abroad for study. He went to Rome 
and, after years of obscure and patient labor, he 
finally drew attention and admiration by the model 
of his great work, "Jason." It was, however, at a 
point when he was almost hopelessly discouraged 
that he received an order for its production in mar- 
ble at a princely figure. From that time on fame 
and prosperity were his handmaidens. Returning 
later to Denmark his reception in Copenhagen was 
triumphal. He was received in princely manner 
and apartments were assigned him at the palace of 
Charlottenburg. 

Previous to his sudden death, which occurred in 
a theater, he had bequeathed a splendid collection of 
his works to his native country to be preserved in 
a museum bearing his own name, and for the sup- 
port of which he made ample provision. This mag- 
nificent collection is today one of the glories of the 
Danish metropolis. By his own countrymen Thor- 

124 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

walsden is ranked as one of the greatest sculptors 
since Michael Angelo. 

We turned away from the Lion of Lucerne, which 
for nearly one hundred years has rested in silent 
majesty on this hillside of Switzerland. We have 
studied its history; we have learned its lesson; we 
feel its influence. 

Another sudden shower surprised us. We took 
shelter in one of the nearby souvenir shops, which 
seem to camp all along the trail of tourists in 
Europe. Like other foreign cities, Lucerne has its 
own characteristic wares, and really one can pick 
up delightful little novelties in Swiss workman- 
ship, as well as the regulation souvenir cards and 
views. 

Here we disbanded, as it were, for shopping was 
the program for the remainder of the afternoon. 
Shopping is an art in which women are supposed 
to excel, and on this occasion it ranged from select- 
ing hand-embroidered handkerchiefs and other fine 
bits of needlework, to a search for genuine topaz 
stones. Personally, the most fascinating shop we 
visited was one devoted largely to articles of carved 
wood. In this work the Swiss are certainly past- 
masters. How beautiful and delicate this carving 
is ! No wonder we surrendered to dear little cuckoo 
clocks, and to cake-plates with real Swiss music- 
boxes concealed beneath their carved surface, and 
which play deliciously-tinkling melodies every time 
the plate is raised from the table. Can you imagine 

125 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

anything more captivating than a dainty bit of 
angel-food cake served to an entrancing strain of 
a pretty Swiss air? So, regardless of the eagle-eyed 
custom officers who invaded our train at every 
frontier crossing, the resistless wares were pur- 
chased and nicely packed in innocent-looking 
boxes, with the assurance that the clock would not 
"cuckoo" nor the plate chime out a Tyrolean air at 
a time when such demonstration might prove em- 
barrassing to us. 

We returned to the hotel well satisfied with our 
purchases, and, indeed, with the whole day. 

Amusing incidents sometimes occur even in the 
ranks of a dignified peace embassy. For instance, 
several of our party are staunch members of the 
Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and do not 
always recognize certain subtle ingredients which 
frequently add the piquant and pleasing touch to 
foreign confections and sauces. I can, in this con- 
nection, see the wisdom of Saint Paul's injunction: 
"Eat what is set before you and ask no questions 
for conscience sake," especially when traveling 
abroad. We had been out all day drinking in the 
tonic ozone of the Alps. We were hungry and the 
food was excellent. For dessert this particular even- 
ing we had some kind of light, delicate cake baked 
in shape of a large ring, covered with pink-tinted 
icing, and served with dainty pink sauce. The 
writer, whose ancestors came from the "Old Domin- 

126 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

ion State," and brought many of its customs with 
them, recognized the flavor, but, not being radical 
along this line, said nothing. One little woman, 
however, sitting at the same table — a dyed-in-the- 
wool temperance advocate and head of the Wom- 
an's Christian Temperance Union in her own state — 
after eating her portion of the dessert, said : "My ! I 
could eat one of those whole rings, they are so good." 
The accommodating waiter, happening to hear this 
speech, soon returned with another liberal portion 
of cake, with plenty of the alluring pink sauce, 
which was partaken of with unusual relish and sat- 
isfaction. But, believing that "ignorance is bliss 
where 'tis folly to be wise," those of us who recog- 
nized the tanglefoot flavor consistently held our 
peace. 

The evening was devoted largely to letter-writing 
and sociability. We retired at an early hour and 
found our soft beds and down covers a real luxury. 
It was cold, and during the night a fresh snow-fall 
covered the nearby mountain tops. 

Switzerland, with its checkered political history, 
is now a vast summer play-ground. Lucerne is the 
gateway through which flows the great tide of tour- 
ist travel; still one can readily see that it is pre- 
eminently a city of homes. The all-pervasive air of 
neatness and thrift; the hand-wrought curtains dis- 
playing such dainty needlecraft; the bright red 
geraniums blooming on the window-ledges, all sug- 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

gest the deft touch of the home-making, home-loving 
woman. Indeed 3 there is nothing to indicate that 
the modern spirit of feminine unrest has yet found 
its way into the hearts or the lives of the women of 
Lucerne. 



4* 



128 




BOOK NUMBER ELEVEN 

| RAVELING according to a fixed schedule 
of time, and following a previously arranged 
itinerary demands prompt action upon the 
part of each individual. 

On the evening prior to our departure from a 
given place, our conductor distributed amongst us 
at the dinner tables typewritten instructions advis- 
ing us at what time to have our baggage ready, at 
what hour breakfast would be served, and at what 
time we would leave the hotel for the railway sta- 
tion. 

Only once was a member of our party left behind. 
On this occasion there was quite a string of car- 
riages, and no one had missed the lady until she, in 
tears, followed swiftly after us, reaching the station 
almost as soon as we did, and in ample time to 
catch the train. But it did not happen again. 

At the appointed time Saturday morning, June 
twenty-eighth, we said good-bye to hospitable 
Lucerne, and turned our faces toward the classic 
old city of Heidelberg on the sunny banks of the 
Neckar River. 

These railroad journeys between cities afforded 
us the best opportunity we had to be sociable and 
to visit with one another; We usually had a special 

129 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

car, and, although divided into several compart- 
ments, each one is accessible through the long cor- 
ridor running along one side. Here we held our 
"conversazioni," compared notes, and exchanged 
experiences in general. 

En route to Heidelberg we took dinner at Bale, 
an historic old city, lying on both shores of the 
Rhine. As we had a stop here of a couple of hours, 
we spent the time in getting a fleeting glimpse of 
the place. Some of us took a quick spin in a taxi, 
some took a street car ride, some visited the cathe- 
dral, while our camera votaries found many pleasing 
subjects for their films right around the railway 
station. 

Bale is well-built, well-kept, and is the richest 
city in Switzerland. 

It has many buildings of interest, besides the old 
cathedral, founded in the twelfth century, and 
which has passed through many vicissitudes. 

But, personally, I was attracted greatly by the 
beauty that environs the railway station itself, and 
which betrays at a glance the civic pride of the 
citizens of Bale. It is not planked down, so to 
speak, amid unsightly surroundings, but is so de- 
lightfully improved that a wait here is made a 
pleasure instead of a tedious killing of time. On 
one side flows the Rhine, spanned by a fine old 
bridge, built in the thirteenth century. On the 
other side is a great, paved open square, containing 
a large pool, bordered with bright blossoms, in 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

which a splendid fountain tosses high its white 
spray. Water lilies and other aquatic plants bloom 
luxuriantly in the pool. Near by is a magnificent 
monument commemorating an important event in 
the political history of Switzerland. 

Just back of this is a beautiful botanical garden, 
with shady footpaths, in which it is a pleasure to 
wander, and which makes such an appropriate set- 
ting for the pleasing picture facing it. 

As I considered the charm of the whole ensemble, 
I thought of the palatial Union Station— one of the 
finest in the world — in my own home city, St. Louis. 
Regardless of the fact that the great bard of Avon 
declares that "comparisons are odious," I could not 
but fancy the imposing appearance it would make 
if thus favorably environed. Then, too, how much 
more clearly it would indicate, to the thousands of 
strangers continually passing through it, the real 
beauty of the great metropolis in which it is located. 

Truly, "Art is long and time is fleeting." I real- 
ize that, eventually, art will have her perfect work 
in my own country. When it does, I trust our civic 
beauty will be supplemented with monuments por- 
traying the arts of peace, rather than the arts of 
war! 

It was late in the afternoon when we reached 
Heidelberg. We had just time enough to look over 
our mail, and to freshen ourselves up a bit, when 
dinner was announced. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

It may have been the constant change, the cease- 
less out-door activity, or it may be that we were 
merely healthy, normal women, but whatever the 
cause, we developed during our trip unusually good 
appetites. Each one of us had gained in avoirdu- 
pois ; the tinge of the American Beauty rose glowed 
in every cheek, and all were looking fine. 

We found the food, in general, not only well- 
cooked, but the bread of such uniform excellence 
that I asked our conductor the reason for it. His 
explanation was that it is because all the wheat 
raised in Germany, Austria, Hungary and Switzer- 
land is used the year it is grown. No grain is stored 
in elevators, therefore the bread is made from new 
flour all the time. He told me further that we 
would find no better bread in Paris and London 
than we have in New York, Chicago and St. Louis, 
from the fact that in all these cities the flour used is 
made principally from old wheat. In other words, 
there is in the countries just mentioned no manipu- 
lation of wheat simply because so many people 
must be fed from so small an area of production 
that its immediate consumption is imperative. 

Indeed, the food proposition of many parts of 
Europe is a perplexing problem. Germany, for 
instance, has very limited resources and must de- 
pend largely upon the outside world for supply. 
If from any cause this supply should be cut off, it 
would result in panic and starvation. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

But, on the other hand, the whole German Em- 
pire is a vital object lesson in conservation and 
thrift. Not a grain of wheat, nor scarcely a wild 
berry, is wasted. Never have I seen, or dreamed of, 
such intensive production as that in evidence 
throughout Germany. I can now understand, as I 
never could before, how and why German farmers 
can come to the United States and buy old, run- 
down farms that have, through lack of scientific 
agricultural methods well-nigh impoverished their 
former owners, and in a few years become rich 
and prosperous. The secret is that they bring with 
them the habit of thrift, economy, alertness and 
care they were forced to exercise in their own coun- 
try in order to live at all. 

Heidelberg is fraught with that atmosphere of 
culture one would naturally expect to find in this 
old university town. 

The Rhenish Palatinate in which the town is 
situated has been aptly termed the Garden of Ger- 
many. With wooded hills and flowing streams, 
Nature has produced most pleasing landscapes. The 
place is so old that historic facts commingle with 
legendary lore. Both are exceedingly interesting 
to the stranger within the gates. 

Had we never heard of Heidelberg as a center 
of learning and intellectual attainments, our first 
evening here would have revealed the fact. 

We attended a concert in the Bismarck Garden, 
near our hotel. This garden is an ideal place in 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

which to spend a summer evening, because it is so 
beautiful. But here we listened to a musical pro- 
gram rendered by an orchestra of about one hun- 
dred string instruments which was well worthy of 
Theodore Thomas. Just think of a high-class musi- 
cal feast like this in a public garden with an ad- 
mission price of about ten cents American money. 
Each number on the program was the work of a 
master. The appreciative attention and the evident 
enjoyment of the audience emphasized the inborn 
love of the Germans for good music. 

With souls refreshed by the copious draughts of 
sweet melody, we strolled for a while among the 
flowers, and soft-playing fountains, then returned 
to the hotel for a good night's sleep. 

We arose promptly in the morning for an early 
breakfast, as we were to visit the old Castle of 
Heidelberg. A gentle rain was falling, but that 
did not deter nor detain us. Our carriages were at 
the door at the appointed time. 

The drive to the castle, which is up a rather steep 
grade all the way, is a beautiful one. The roadway 
leads through a grand old forest, passing the uni- 
versity buildings, and affording through leafy vistas 
charming glimpses of the Neckar River, winding like 
a glistening ribbon far below. 

Arriving at the crest of the hill we left our car- 
riages and walked through the fine old wood to the 
entrance of the castle grounds. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

We speak of "Old Heidelberg" and, indeed, it is 
old in a way; but between the modern Heidelberg 
of today and the old town which had its beginning 
even before the beginning of the old castle, cen- 
turies have elapsed. While the castle, through the 
stress of wars and fires and sieges, has fallen a 
prey to time and ruin, the town has grown into a 
sturdy municipality of fifty thousand population 
whose educational supremacy is recognized 
throughout the civilized world. 

How fitly does this suggest the victory of intelli- 
gence over passion : the triumph of humanity over 
barbarity ! 

As we stood within the vaulted portals of the 
castle gate and looked at the magnificent park-like 
forest — the finest in Germany — which surrounds 
the place, we were beholding a wood in which 
poets, hundreds of years ago, sought inspiration; 
for as early as the fifteenth century we find them 
singing the charms of Heidelberg. Indeed, the old 
castle, with its inspiring environment, has always 
been a favorite rendezvous for poets, artists, 
philosophers and men of letters. 

The castle is commandingly situated, fifteen hun- 
dred feet above sea-level, on a hill called the Jetten- 
buhl, overlooking the Neckar River. The oldest 
part of it was built by the Elector Rudolph I, who 
is said to have removed it from the upper castle 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

in 1308. Building after building was added suc- 
cessively, according to the fancy of the different 
rulers. 

It is not possible to more than touch upon the 
intricate history which, like a vast spider-web, en- 
meshes the Castle of Heidelberg. 

During the Thirty Years War — that terrific 
struggle fought to such bitter finish in the sacred 
name of religion — the castle had suffered so much 
that Karl Ludwig, on his return in 1649, found it 
absolutely uninhabitable. During his reign he com- 
pletely restored and fortified it. Before the end 
of the century, however, during the Orleans wars, 
which lasted for years, the castle was so violently 
and continuously besieged that the end of this war, 
1693, found the old stronghold again practically 
destroyed. 

But, undismayed by repeated disaster, the restora- 
tion work was again taken up and some of the 
buildings restored and made inhabitable once more. 
Karl Philipp resided here until 1720. 

Karl Theodor was planning a complete restora- 
tion of the castle when, in August, 1764, it was 
struck by lightning and the whole interior became 
a prey to the flames. That was the final blow, 
and since that time no further consideration has 
been given to rebuilding. But, from 1830, the 
greatest care has been taken to protect the ruins 
from further decay. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

The old castle, however, is splendid even in its 
ruins. These give ample evidence of its erstwhile 
grandeur and glory. Special mention of one par- 
ticular facade, still in fairly good state of preserva- 
tion, will substantiate this statement. This facade, 
the work of Otto Heinrich, is considered the oldest 
specimen, and the highest perfection, of German 
humanism. The statues which adorn it are in 
rows as follows: 

First story shows statues of heroes : Joshua, 
Samson, Hercules and David — representatives of 
strength and power on which the state relies. 

Second story portrays the three graces : Faith, 
Hope and Charity. These are flanked on one side 
by Strength, and on the other by Justice — symboliz- 
ing the chief virtues of a regent. 

Third story displays statues of Saturn, Mars, 
Venus and Mercury, with Diana as Goddess of the 
Moon and Jupiter as God of the Sun — typifying, in 
allegory, the heavenly powers governing the fate 
of mankind. 

The whole facade is indeed a wondrous concep- 
tion of human idealism, intended to represent every- 
thing essential to a well-ordered government. 

In the gable ends of the lower row of windows 
are eight heads in medallion-form, representing, ac- 
cording to inscriptions, Roman emperors and 
others: Vitellius, imperator; Antonius Pius; Ti- 
berius Claudius Nero; Nero Caesar; C. Marius; 
Romulus N. Pamphiliys ; M. Brutus. All the apart- 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

ments in this portion of the castle were richly 
decorated with beautiful sculptures, many of which, 
particularly mantel-pieces, doorway and window- 
facings, are still in good preservation. Every pre- 
caution is being taken to protect them from the hand 
of vandalism. 

But we could only glance at the fine sculptures, 
old armor, and the paraphernalia of bygone days 
as we hurried on from one part of the castle to an- 
other. We looked into the kitchen to see the great 
fire-place, where it was customary to roast a whole 
ox at one time; and the mammoth kneading tray, 
where a barrel of flour was nimbly made into 
dough at a single mixing. 

Crossing the courtyard, we went down under the 
old chapel into the cellar. Here lies the far-famed 
"big tun" which Karl Theodor caused the court- 
cooper to build in 1751, after all its predecessors 
had been demolished by the wars. This tun is 
thirty-six feet long, twenty-four feet high, and is 
capable of holding over fifty thousand gallons of 
wine. It was formerly encircled by eighteen 
wooden hoops and eighteen iron ones, but several 
of the latter are missing. This immense cask was 
filled for the first time on the tenth of November, 
1752, and twice afterward, but since the last de- 
structive fire at the castle it has remained empty 
and unused. Lying before it is a small cask re- 
markable for its construction, being held together 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

without the aid of hoops. The comparison in size 
is obvious. 

Nearby, in this same cellar, is an image of the 
dwarf Clemens Perkeo, the courtfool of Karl 
Philipp, who, according to tradition, drank daily 
from fifteen to eighteen bottles of strong wine ! 

On a wall beside the image of the courtfool is 
an innocent-looking old clock. The lady who was 
showing us through this part of the castle, said 
very sweetly : "You can see just how it works 
by pulling the string beneath it." I pulled the 
string. The door flew open and out jumped a red 
fox-tail, fraught with the dust of ages, and switched 
me full in the face! Of course, everybody laughed 
at my expense. Historians, however, must do some 
exploring, and the joke would have remained un- 
seen and therefore unenjoyed had I lacked the 
courage to "pull the string." 

We proceeded to the Knight's Hall, where, in 
the palmy days of the castle, banquets were served, 
and the ceremonies of conferring knighthood took 
place. Our attention was attracted to the remains 
of a stone chimney-piece, covered with remarkable 
bits of sculpture, among them the arms of the 
Palatinate and of Denmark, supported by two 
lions. Above the arms of the Palatinate are the 
busts of Emperor Charles V and his wife, Isabella 
of Portugal. Above the Danish arms are the busts 
of Christian II of Denmark and his consort Isa- 
bella, sister of Charles V. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Under the Danish arms a still legible inscription 
refers to the marriage of Frederick II with 
Dorothea, daughter of Christian II. 

We finally climbed a worn and winding flight of 
sixty-odd stone steps to the top of a wing of the 
old castle, where we posed for Mrs. Pepler to pho- 
tograph us. But it was misting rain and the pic- 
ture did not prove a success. 

The view from this vantage point was enchant- 
ing. We beheld the "Garden of Germany," with 
the lordly Rhine rolling proudly along off in the 
west. We could see the fertile plains screened in 
by the foothills of the Haardt Mountains, and right 
below us stretched the beautiful valley of the 
Neckar River. 

At one time the castle was surrounded by a moat 
with draw-bridges. Such protection was necessary 
in those strenuous feudal days, when life itself 
seemed but a brutal struggle for conquest, and 
for the blood-stained spoils of victory! 

Heidelberg is justly celebrated, today, for its 
splendid university, founded in 1356 by The Elector 
Ruprecht I. This great educational institution has, 
however, come up through great tribulations. The 
fortunes of the university fluctuated in accord- 
ance with the fortunes, or rather the misfortunes, 
of war. At one time it was so impoverished it could 
not pay its professors. But, under the wise and 
liberal policy of Karl Frederick, a better day 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

dawned for the institution. In fact, this magnani- 
mous prince gave it new life. He called in new 
teachers, increased scientific collections, added new 
equipment and increased the salaries of the 
teachers. 

In grateful commemoration of these two friends 
and founders of the university, it is now called the 
"Ruperto-Carola." It celebrated its five hundredth 
jubilee in 1886. 

The university faculty comprises many eminent 
scholars in theology, law, medicine, and philosophy. 
It has in the neighborhood of two thousand profes- 
sors and lecturers. Thousands of students are in 
attendance, a large proportion of whom are English 
and American. 

Our stay was all too short in this historic and de- 
lightful old city. But we utilized every moment 
and, late in the afternoon, took reluctant leave of it, 
going direct to Mayence. 



141 




BOOK NUMBER TWELVE 

A Hag on tlj? m?ine 

HE distance is not great between Heidel- 
berg and Mayence, and, though the day 
was far spent when we reached the latter 
point, there was still time to enjoy a brief glimpse 
of the interesting old town. 

One of the most fascinating features of many 
European cities is their very age. They seem to 
link one in a real, tangible way with the peoples, 
customs and traditions of a long-gone past. 

Mayence, or Mainz, according to German spell- 
ing, is charmingly situated in the heart of a great 
wine-growing district on a sunny slope of the 
Rhine, near the junction of the Main. 

While to the tourist the place indicates chiefly 
prosperous commercial activity and peaceful in- 
dustry, it is, in fact, the most strongly fortified 
city in the German Empire. For nearly half a 
century it constituted, in accordance with a decree 
of the Vienna Congress, a German federal strong- 
hold, garrisoned in common by Austrian, Prussian 
and Hessian troops. Later it became a Prussian 
fortress. In 1870, by treaty at Versailles, Mayence 
was declared an imperial fortress. 

The cathedrals of the various cities we visited 

142 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

proved veritable lode-stones to some of the mem- 
bers of our party, and, in this particular, Mayence 
possesses a notable attraction. The great cathedral 
here, which seems to have been a storm-center dur- 
ing the history-making epochs of the city, stands a 
hoary witness to the flight of years. 

This memorable old building, begun in 978, has 
been destroyed six times by wars and by fires. It 
was last restored by Napoleon. Today, from a 
group of lesser turrets and spires, it rears aloft its 
main tower four hundred feet skyward, all unmind- 
ful of the dramas and tragedies the slow-moving 
centuries have played about it. 

From the imposing main porch we passed through 
the splendid bronze doors which date from a thou- 
sand years ago. The interior, with its noble vault- 
ings supported by half a hundred pillars, is most 
impressive. 

There are many tombs and statues belonging to 
bygone years, but the most interesting object the 
cathedral contains, for a body of American women 
at least, is Schwanthaler's Frauenlob — an exquisite 
marble monument erected to the memory of the 
minnesinger Heinrich von Meissen. 

The statue is associated with such a charming 
legend, embodying such gracious sentiment, that 
it appeals to all womankind. Briefly, the legend 
runs something as follows : 

The priest — or canon some say — Heinrich von 
Meissen, away back in the early days of Mayence, 

143 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

was not only a very worthy man, but a wonderfully 
gifted singer. In addition to devoting himself to 
science, he wrote many pious verses which he dedi- 
cated to the Holy Virgin. Evidently, he made her 
his standard of womanhood, and thus he idealized 
women in many beautiful songs written in their 
honor, and which he sang with heavenly voice to 
his harp, whose strings he swept with touch divine. 

Woman was, indeed, his supreme inspiration. 
His exalted conception of her revealed his purity 
of thought, his poetic temperament, his wonderful 
genius. 

On account of the chivalric spirit expressed in 
his songs to the gentler sex, posterity gave him the 
name of "Frauenlob," by which he is better known 
today than by his own — Heinrich von Meissen. 

Of course, women have been women in all times 
and in all countries, and have always been re- 
sponsive to admiration and love, especially to an 
unselfed, uplifting devotion. Therefore, when the 
good poet-priest passed away, the women of 
Mayence, of one accord, determined to honor him 
as no poet had ever been honored before. It was 
a wonderful funeral cortege that moved slowly 
through the streets of the old city — an army of 
women, in deep mourning, praying for the repose 
of the lamented poet's soul. Eight of the most 
beautiful among them carried the casket, which 
was literally covered with a pall of fragrant blos- 
soms. The legend further relates the very unusual 

144 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

ceremonies of interment at the cathedral, but de- 
clares that the most precious tribute of all was the 
tears shed that day "by many a gentle lady." 

The statue commemorating him in the old 
cathedral shows the figure of a beautiful woman in 
pure white marble. She is placing a wreath of 
immortelles on the sarcophagus of the gifted singer 
who sang his sweetest songs in honor and apprecia- 
tion of women. 

Numerous Roman remains attest the great an- 
tiquity of this busy and prosperous city, situated 
amid fruitful vineyards on the sloping banks of the 
Rhine. 

After a restful night and a good breakfast in one 
of the best hotels of Mayence, we entered a train 
for a short run down to the docks. As we left our 
car we could see the beautiful steamer, Kaiserine 
Augusta Louise, poised like a giant white swan on 
the pulsing bosom of the river. 

Soon our happy-hearted party were aboard, about 
to enjo}' the pleasure we had each looked forward to 
with fond anticipation — a sail on the Rhine. 

Although it was the last day of June, the air was 
crisp and cool, making our steamer coats quite 
comfortable. Fleecy clouds, coquetting with the 
sunshine, suggested possible rain. But a smart 
canvas awning arching over the entire forward 
deck protected us, alike, from summer showers and 
the too ardent kiss of the summer sun. In fact, 
the whole ship, so thoroughly equipped and so 

145 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

courteously officered, showed the thoughtful consid- 
eration given to the comfort and well-being of its 
passengers. 

The Rhine! There is magic in the very words. 
No other river in the world is so rich in history, 
so permeated with legendary lore! From the time 
it leaps from its icy cradle, in the frozen heart 
of Saint Gothard, until it glides with majestic 
sweep into the Zuider Zee, it traverses a dream- 
haunted territory. 

The most scenic and historic reaches of the Rhine 
lie between Mayence and Cologne — the voyage we 
were making. With descriptive maps, marine 
glasses and Legends of the Rhine in hand, we were 
on the alert for the many points of special interest. 

How utterly impossible to give anything like a 
graphic pen-picture of the Rhine! The river itself 
is wonderfully attractive, with its picturesque craft 
— its excursion steamers, its pleasure boats, its long 
flat freighters, so different from the barges seen on 
our own rivers. The shores are lined with famous 
old castles, all of them interwoven with some fas- 
cinating story. Who, indeed, has not read and 
dreamed of the castles on the Rhine, and who has 
not longed to behold them? They are not castles 
in the air, nor visionary castles in Spain, for they 
show in their splendid ruins how very real, tangible 
and formidable they must have been in their palmy 
days. 

146 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

These castles are seen at almost every bend of 
this winding - old river. Perched upon the steep 
cliff-sides, protected by frowning buttresses and in- 
vincible ramparts ; surrounded by thick walls and 
deep moats; provided with secret subterranean 
passage-ways, the robber barons who occupied 
these strongly-garrisoned fortresses were indeed 
lords of all they surveyed. They levied toll on each 
passing boat and caravan, and practically owned 
the serfs who tended their vineyards and pressed 
out their wines. 

It was a crude age — gorgeous, barbarous, sensu- 
ous ! Profligate to an extreme, drinking and carous- 
ing were the chief pastimes of these erstwhile 
castle-dwellers. Today the rosy glamour of ro- 
mance hangs bewitchingly over it all ! 

One can fancy wandering minstrels and gay 
troubadours singing their tuneful ballads before the 
blazing logs in the castle halls, captives, perchance, 
to bright eyes and womanly graces ; and can pic- 
ture armoured knights in coats of mail gallantly 
undertaking perilous ventures to win by valor and 
daring the coveted smiles of their lady-loves. 

It is, in fact, the poetic atmosphere, the legendary 
charm, the crumbling evidences of a romantic past 
that make the Rhine so intensely interesting. 

Characteristic German thrift crowns the river 
shores from Mayence to Cologne. Villages, ham- 
lets, and good-sized towns nestle snugly in between 
the river's margin and the somewhat precipitous 

147 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

bluffs. From the water's edge to the crest of the 
steepest slopes, climb terrace above terrace of well- 
kept vineyards. These vineyards are striking ob- 
ject-lessons in conservation. So steep are these 
mountainous river banks in some places that every 
rod or so a stone wall has been built to conserve 
the soil and to make it possible to utilize every 
available foot of ground. 

A sail on the Rhine in a finely-appointed steamer, 
with every material wish anticipated and provided 
for; an ever-shifting panorama of Nature's pic- 
tures spread alluringly before one, accentuated by 
the glory of June-time weather, would of itself be 
a pleasure worth while. But, in addition, the ma- 
jestic old river fairly bristles with song and story 
and, almost unconsciously, one surrenders, a will- 
ing captive, to its subtle spell. 

Of course, each one of us was on the lookout for 
Bingen. There is magic in the name. It transports 
us back to our school-days ; to the memory-land of 
childhood. We can still recall the little thrills and 
heart-throbs of tenderness it used to awaken in us 
as we, with tearful voice, tried to read the pathetic 
story of a soldier of the legion who lay a-dying in 
Algiers ; the burden of whose refrain declared he 
"was born in Bingen, fair Bingen on the Rhine." 

Little did we dream in those childish days that 
we should ever see Bingen, the spot for which the 
dying soldier yearned. But to the fancy of young 

148 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

girlhood, to die for one's country and to be im- 
mortalized in song was the very acme of patriot- 
ism and glory ! 

Truly, it is a far cry from the romance of youth 
to the brutal realities of modern war! 

To Bingen belongs the legend of the "Mouse 
Tower." This weird story, condensed, runs mainly 
as follows : 

Nearly a thousand years ago Hatto, Bishop of 
Mainz, grew weary of the complaints of the people. 
Their harvest having been destroyed by the rains, 
they begged that the bishop would succor them 
from his own well-filled storehouses. Day after 
day they besieged and beset him with piteous tales 
of distress and starvation. Finally, Hatto told them 
to gather in a great barn nearby, and he would 
quiet their demands. Joyfully the people assembled 
at the place appointed, expecting, of course, a dis- 
tribution of grain to relieve their sufferings. But, 
instead, the heartless bishop locked them in and 
set fire to the structure, telling them they should 
"perish like rats !" 

The bishop returned to his palace well satisfied 
with his evil work. In a short time his servants 
came rushing in and said an army of hungry rats 
were coming! Pricked by a guilty conscience, 
Hatto mounted a horse and fled to the Rhine. 
Abandoning the animal, which was immediately 
devoured by rats, he jumped into a skiff and hastily 
rowed to his tower in the river, hoping to escape 

149 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

the ferocious rodents. But they swam the shallows 
and began to gnaw holes in the bishop's refuge and, 
soon gaining entrance, the bishop and every living 
thing became a prey to their ravenous appetites. 

The tower has been demolished and rebuilt and 
is now used as a signal station, and for commercial 
purposes. But the legend still clings to it. To this 
day at sunset a peculiar fiery glow rests directly 
over the tower. This roseate reflection, the peas- 
ants of Bingen and vicinity believe, is from the 
everlasting fires which will forever and forever tor- 
ment Hatto, the cruel bishop of Mainz. 

Bingen is situated at the confluence of the Rhine 
and the Nahe rivers. Just opposite and crowning 
the Niederwald, stands the German National Monu- 
ment, which, on account of its own height and its 
commanding position, is easily seen afar off. This 
magnificent statue is surrounded by vineyards, 
which look like vast mosaics wrought out in 
schemes of gray and green. 

Upon a monumental pedestal seventy-eight feet 
high and adorned with beautiful statuary, rises the 
superb figure of Germania, thirty-three feet high, 
holding aloft the imperial crown of Germany. 

At the foot of the Niederwald lie, not far apart, 
the towns of Assmannshausen and Riidesheim. 

These towns, in the center of the most extensive 
and productive wine-growing districts, are prac- 
tically supported by the wine industry. Their fa- 
mous hostelries, which have long been the ren- 

150 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

dezvous for artists, musicians and German literati, 
are conducted in the wine interests. 

As I looked out over the endless stretches of 
thrifty-looking vineyards, I found myself humming 
"The Rhine Maidens," an old song associated with 
my college days. 

The peasant maidens of this old duet, relate in 
melodious rhyme the idyllic joys of vintage-time as 
they jubilantly sing : 

"We will seek the sunny Rhine, 
Where the rich and purple vine, 
Is bending with its clusters full and fair." 

Their autumnal pastorale, however, ends with this 
rather doleful picture : 

"But when vintage is got in, 
We must sit at home and spin; 
And many is the maiden that will find, 
That she never can restore 
All the joy she knew before, 
Nor the heart she left in vintage time behind." 

Many legends of the Rhine had their inception 
in close proximity to these old towns at the foot 
of the Niederwald. Most of them are variations 
woven about a theme of wine. The following 
legend of Johannisberg is typical : 

Wherever the German tongue is heard, and even 
further still, the king of all Rhine wines, "Johannis- 
berger," is known and sought after. Every friend 

151 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

of the grape is well acquainted with it, but few, 
perhaps, know of its princely origin. It is princely, 
not because princes' hands once kept the key of 
Johannisberg, but rather because princely hands 
planted the vine in the Rhine country. This royal 
giver was none other than Charlemange, the power- 
ful ruler of the kingdom of the Franks. 

Once in early spring Charles the Great was 
standing on the balcony of his castle at Ingelheim, 
his eyes straying over the beautiful stretch of coun- 
try at his feet. Snow had fallen during the night 
and the hills of Rudesheim were clothed in white. 
As the imperial ruler was looking thoughtfully over 
the landscape, he noticed that the snow on the 
other side of Johannisberg melted quicker in the 
sun's rays than on any other point. 

Charles, who was a great and deep thinker, began 
to reflect that on a spot where the sun shone so 
genially, something better than grass would grow. 

Sending for Kunrat, his faithful servant, he bade 
him saddle his horse the next day at dawn and ride 
to Orleans, a town famous for its good wine. He 
was to inform the citizens that the emperor had 
not forgotten the excellent wine they had given 
him there, and that he would like to grow the same 
vines on the Rhine. He desired the citizens of 
Orleans, therefore, to send him plants from their 
country. 

The messenger set off to do the king's bidding 
and, ere the moon had again circled round the earth, 

152 




MRS. ALICE DEAN SCHNEIDER 

Ambassador from Tennessee 




MRS. ZANA GOODIN 
Ambassador from Kansas 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

was back in the castle at Ingelheim. Great satis- 
faction prevailed at court. Charles, mighty ruler 
as he was, even went so far as to cross to Riide- 
sheim, where he planted with his own royal hands 
the French vine into German soil. 

This was no mere passing whim on the part of 
the emperor. He sent messengers constantly to 
bring word as to how the vines were thriving in 
Rudesheim, on the flanks of Johannisberg. When 
the third autumn had come round, Emperor Charle- 
mange set out from his favorite resort, Aix-la- 
Chapelle, for the Rhine country. Great rejoicing 
prevailed among the vine-reapers from Rudesheim 
to Johannisberg. 

The first cup of wine was solemnly offered to the 
emperor — a golden wine in a golden cup, a wine 
worthy of a king. 

Charles took a long, deep draught and, with 
brightened eyes, praised the delicious drink. It 
became his favorite wine, this fiery "Johannis- 
berger," making him young again in his old age. 

The legend weaves another wonderful tale about 
the same great emperor blessing his grapes. A 
poet's pen has fashioned it into song, which is still 
often heard among the grape-gatherers. 

Every spring when the vines are blossoming on 
the hills and in the valley along the river, scenting 
the air with their fragrance, a tall shadow wanders 
at night about the vineyards. A purple mantle 

153 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

hangs from his stately shoulders, and a crown is 
on his head. It is Charlemange, the great emperor, 
who planted the grapes long years ago. The 
luscious scent of the blossoms wakens him in his 
tomb in Aix-la-Chapelle, and he comes forth to 
bless the grapes. 

When the full moon casts her gentle beams on 
the water, the emperor may be seen crossing the 
golden bridge formed by her rays and, then wan- 
dering further along the hills, blessing the vines on 
the other side of the river. 

At the first crow of the cock he returns to his 
grave in Aix-la-Chapelle. Here he sleeps till the 
scent of the grapes awakens him next spring, when 
he again wanders through the countries along the 
Rhine, blessing the vineyards. 

Another delightful little story is told of the monks 
who lived at Johannisberg : 

Once the high Abbot of Fulda came unexpectedly 
to visit the cloister Johannisberg just about the 
time the grapes were ripe. The worthy abbot made 
many inquiries about his people, showed himself 
highly pleased with the works of the industrious 
monks, and, as a mark of his continued favor, he in- 
vited all the inmates of the cloister to a drinking- 
bout. 

"Wine maketh the heart glad." Thus quoting 
King David's significant words, the holy man began 
his speech: 

154 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

"God's loving hand will be gracious in future 
years to your vines. Let us profit by His grace, 
brothers, and drink what He has provided for us in 
moderation and reverence. But before we refresh 
ourselves with God's good gifts, take your breviar- 
ies and let us begin with a short prayer." 

"Breviaries!" was whispered along the rows, and 
the eyes of the fat, genial monks blinked in helpless 
embarrassment. 

"Yes, your breviaries," and the white-haired 
abbot looked silently but sternly at the brothers. 

They searched and searched. 

Gradually the frown disappeared from the ab- 
bot's face, and a smile slowly spread over his with- 
ered features. 

"Well, never mind, let us drink," said he. 

Then feeling his pockets, he said, with a twinkle 
in his eyes: "That's too bad! I ought to have 
brought a corkscrew with me when I came to the 
Rhine." 

"A corkscrew !" Every monk dived his hand into 
his pockets and as many corkscrews were produced 
before the worthy abbot as there were brothers 
present. 

Then a gleam of merriment beamed in the abbot's 
eyes. 

"Bravo, ye pious monks ! What a plentiful supply 
of corkscrews ! Do not all look so embarrassed ; we 
shall not be annoyed about it today, but — tomor- 
row! Now we shall sing with King David, 'Wine 

155 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

maketh the heart glad.' " And the uncorked bottles 
went the rounds. 

The most intensely interesting part of the Rhine 
lies between Bingen and Bonn. At St. Goar there 
is a sharp curve and the river narrows and deepens. 
Here rises the towering, rugged cliff, The Lorelei, 
famed by tradition and immortalized by Heine in 
song. 

So near did we approach this cliff in rounding 
it that several of the ambassadors, with ever-ready 
cameras, had no trouble in recording it on their 
films. 

We had been eagerly alert about The Lorelei. 
It, too, has its alluring legend, which I will briefly 
relate. I will refrain from giving others, although 
the river is literally bordered with them. 

The famous Loreleiberg, according to the story, 
was so named from the maiden whose history is 
linked with its weird tale of love, superstition and 
magic. 

In a castle in this neighborhood, in the eleventh 
century, there lived a beautiful maiden, with in- 
numerable suitors. The one whom she favored 
above all others resolved to prove himself worthy 
of his lady before making her his wife. He started 
off for "the wars," to win renown through his skill 
and bravery. Months passed, and still the knight 
failed to return to claim his bride. Suitors con- 
tinued to present themselves before Lorelei, to the 

156 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

neglect of other maidens, but she was true to her 
absent knight, and refused them all. 

Then the story spread abroad that Lorelei's was 
no natural beauty ; that it was with magic that she 
won the hearts of men. Appearing before the ec- 
clesiastical court to be tried for witchcraft, she was 
acquitted, but told that she must enter a convent 
for life. Lorelei went to her favorite rock before 
forsaking the world, to have one more look at the 
scenes of her childhood, when, behold ! on the prow 
of a vessel being laboriously propelled up the rapid 
river, stood her true knight. In very joy she 
stretched forth her hands. But in her eagerness 
she reached too far, lost her balance and fell into 
the seething waters. Just at that instant the boat 
which had been slowing making its toilsome way 
against the turgid stream, was dashed upon a sub- 
merged rock and went to pieces ! When the river 
gave up its dead, lover and maiden were found 
clasped in each other's arms. 

On moonlight nights, when the bells on a distant 
tower chime out the hour of twelve, the legend de- 
clares that venturesome boatmen still see this 
tragedy repeated in the swirling waters that sweep 
around The Lorelei. 

These are only a few of the hundreds of legends 
enshrining the Rhine. 

Feasts of the imagination, however, are not the 
only feasts enjoyed on a Rhine steamer. Legends, 
it is true, feed the poetic instinct and intoxicate the 

157 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

poetic fancy. But there is still much that is ma- 
terial in our makeup. We were quite ready, there- 
fore, to leave the mount of vision, go down into 
the dining-room, and partake of the wonderfully 
good dinner prepared for us. One long table was 
devoted exclusively to our party and, in courtesy 
to us, it was graced with the American colors, 
placed side by side with those of Germany. 

What a glorious day it was! The clouds of the 
morning had passed away, and all about us brooded 
the witching magic of June. 

There was music and feasting and plenty of good 
cheer. The Germans are a sociable people. They 
seemed to be eating and drinking most of the time. 
The absence of reserve between the men and the 
women in their wholesome pleasure and goodfel- 
lowship was quite noticeable. 

There is always an air of sans souci about a 
steamer that one finds nowhere else — a spirit of 
Bohemianism which appeals to us all. 

Nothing was left undone that could, in any way, 
add to our comfort. The whole trip was a delight ; 
a red-letter experience which we have tucked away 
with our never-to-be-forgotten memories. 

No one can adequately picture the Rhine. Its 
most impelling charm cannot be caught with the 
camera nor captured with the pen. There is about 
it an atmosphere of idealism, a spirit of roman- 

158 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

ticism, intangible as the whisper of a zephyr, 
elusive as the breath of a flower. 

Many modern private villas, and prosperous-look- 
ing municipalities, line both shores of the river near 
Cologne, which place we reached late in the aft- 
ernoon, after an all-day joy-ride on the Rhine. 



•J* 



159 



BOOK NUMBER THIRTEEN 

Slljnwglj Utnfcmg Wags nf 
Wlb (Mngn? 

^fefSS we landed at Cologne, we were attracted 
MfifnTiKE by the splendid monument of Frederic 
William III, which from a commanding 
position overlooks the Rhine. We noted, too, the 
fine bridges spanning the river at this point ; also 
the pontoon bridge connecting Cologne with the 
town of Deutz, on the opposite shore. 

Soon we were settled in one of the best and most 
conveniently-located hotels in the city. 

Although no official sight-seeing had been 
planned in our itinerary at this place, no sooner 
had we read our letters from home than we were 
"doing" Cologne according to individual fancy. 

Wishing to pick up a few souvenirs and novelties, 
we wandered along the quaint and crooked old 
streets, which are so narrow in places that one can 
walk in the middle of them and do window-shopping 
on both sides at the same time. They wind around 
in the most unconventional way, seemingly without 
regard to any system or plan, or to the ease with 
which a stranger within the gates may lose his 
way. But high above everything else tower the 

160 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

spires of the great Cathedral of Cologne, from 
which one may always get one's bearings. 

We were now in the home of the genuine Eau 
de Cologne. Few feminine tourists leave without 
a large bottle of it stored away amongst their be- 
longings. 

The shop windows are not always a safe index 
to what the shop may contain. For instance, I de- 
sired to purchase a cake of toilet soap — as the hotels 
of Europe do not always supply that luxurious ne- 
cessity. Seeing the kind I wanted in what I sup- 
posed to be a drug store, I stepped blithely inside 
to find myself in a barber shop, where several ton- 
sorial artists were busy with their razors and 
brushes in the demonstration of their profession. 
The incident, however, did not seem to embarrass 
anyone except myself. I explained my mistake; 
also got the soap. 

Cologne is one of the most important commer- 
cial centers of Germany; and, with its several in- 
corporated suburbs, has a population of more than 
half a million people. As its name indicates, it was 
a Roman settlement. In the year A. D. 50, a colony 
was planted here by Agrippina, wife of the Em- 
peror Claudius and mother of Nero. She is named 
as the foundress of the city — Colonia Agrippina. 

From medieval times up to the present, Cologne 
has always been a place of considerable import- 
ance. Today it is a charming combination of the 
old and the new. 

161 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Facing the Rhine, the old part of the city clusters 
about the cathedral and other old churches ; the 
municipal and business buildings, and is encircled 
by the Ring, indicating the line of old fortifications 
and gateways of the city. Beyond this ring, like a 
mammoth horseshoe, curves the modern portion. 
Within this outer circle lie the various parks and 
pleasure-grounds, the zoological gardens, and the 
choice residential districts, together with many 
beautiful monuments and groups of statuary. Near 
the end of the ring, overlooking the Rhine, are some 
of the fine hotels, which cater to the one million 
tourists and foreigners who annually visit Cologne. 

Here, as in other cities we visited, the cathedral 
overshadows the minor places of interest. 

Personally, the more I see of these great edifices, 
and the more I consider them, the more wonderful 
they seem to me. In fact, they grow on one. They 
do not represent merely the work of a lifetime, but 
the labor of generations, the toil of centuries ! They 
are chronicles in stone, architecture, and art, record- 
ing the religious thought and ideals of their time; 
mute monuments to the soul's unceasing search 
after Truth. But reared, as most of them have 
been, amid the din and turmoil of wars; the in- 
sistent clamor for conquest; the ceaseless struggle 
for place and power, and the subtle webs of politi- 
cal intrigue, who, in such a Babel of confusion, 
could hear or discern the "still small voice" wherein 
God dwells? 

162 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

I have looked somewhat into the history of the 
Cologne Cathedral, and something of what I have 
gleaned concerning it may prove interesting, as 
well as suggestive of the many vicissitudes through 
which practically all of these magnificent structures 
have passed ere reaching their beauteous, finished 
perfection. 

The Cathedral of Cologne dates back to the time 
of Hildebold, Bishop of the Cologne Diocese, who, 
in the beginning of the ninth century, determined 
to build a church Avorthy of the dignity of the 
archbishopric. 

This church, occupying the site of the present 
cathedral, was completed under Willibert in 873. 
A few years later it shared the fate of most other 
churches along the lower Rhine, in being de- 
stroyed by the Normans. Willibert lived to see 
Hildebold's edifice rebuilt, and was buried within 
its walls. His successors endeavored to enhance 
the splendor of the cathedral by interior decora- 
tions, and by the introduction of important relics, 
amongst them the reliquary of the Magi, also to 
enlarge the exterior. After narrowly escaping de- 
struction twice by fire, it was at last completely 
destroyed in a great conflagration which swept that 
part of the city. 

This catastrophe made the building of a new 
cathedral necessary. 

The reigning archbishop, Engelbert, on whom 
the task of rebuilding had fallen, was murdered in 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

1225, and his idea was taken up by his successor, 
Conrad von Hochstaden. 

On the fifteenth of August, 1248, the foundation 
stone of the present cathedral was laid on the site 
of the old one. Rapid progress in building was im- 
possible, from the fact that the archbishops were, 
it is said, constantly at war with their subjects. 

Not until 1322 could the new choir be conse- 
crated, and the reliquary of the Magi be transferred 
to the new church — which sacred ceremony took 
place on the twenty-seventh of September of that 
same year. 

The pope himself granted great privileges and 
gifts to the cathedral, and means were raised for 
proceeding with the building. The times, how- 
ever, were not favorable to the advancement of 
art. The spirit of the people, especially that of the 
nobles, was entirely diverted from all sentiment 
of the sublime and beautiful. The faithful and lib- 
eral piety of former days was lost amid the 
licentiousness of the times. History relates that a 
decree issued by the archbishop, urging the people 
to give freely, was disregarded and abused by the 
clergy as well as the laity, to the benefit of their 
own pockets. 

It was well, as least, that the choir was com- 
pleted. It was owing to this fact, and to the de- 
votion of those who had retained the love of art 
and religion, and who rejoiced to see the wonder- 
ful grandeur as the structure progressed, that the 

164 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

work did not cease altogether after the death of 
Conrad. 

The building rose slowly, through many draw- 
backs, as the centuries progressed. 

But the saddest time in the history of the 
cathedral occurred when the soldiers of the French 
Republic entered the city. It was only by the 
greatest exertions of some of the art-loving citi- 
zens that the church, in which divine service was no 
longer held, was preserved from total disaster. But 
in spite of all their endeavors, they could not pre- 
vent the destruction of many valuable antiquities, 
and the melting of the bronze tombs of the arch- 
bishops. The cathedral was used for the storing 
of provisions by the French ; and later, prisoners of 
war were kept there, who burned benches, pulpits 
and other combustible materials. It is said that a 
certain French bishop, Berdolet von Aachen, urged 
Napoleon to demolish the entire structure. 

A brighter day, however, dawned for the splendid 
edifice, as well as for Germany as a whole. Art 
and science, which had been disturbed by new 
and inferior ideas, returned to their former high 
standard, and the men who had the building of the 
cathedral at heart, received funds and assistance 
from all sources, high and low. The financial em- 
barrassment of the municipal treasury, produced by 
the wars, did not permit the town of granting the 
money considered necessary by the commission. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Most auspicious for the advancement of the 
building scheme was the visit of the then crown 
prince, later King of Prussia, Frederic William 
IV. By the influence of the crown prince, Frederic 
William III sent, in 1819, a celebrated architect 
from Berlin to make a thorough investigation of 
the edifice, which resulted in a revision of the plans, 
and the building went bravely on at the expense of 
the state. 

Later the superintendence passed into the hands 
of Zwirner, through whose great energy and en- 
thusiasm the work progressed rapidly, and through 
whose intercession Frederic William IV contrib- 
uted large sums. His majesty also granted the 
charter for a cathedral building committee, the pur- 
pose of which was to collect funds and in every 
way to further the completion of the building as 
speedily as possible. 

On the fourth of September, 1842, the foundation 
stone of the extended cathedral was solemnly con- 
secrated by the Coadjutor-Archbishop John von 
Geissel, in the presence of their majesties, the king 
and queen, together with many princes, bishops, 
and noblemen. On this momentous occasion His 
Majesty Frederic William IV addressed the congre- 
gation as follows : 

"Here, where this stone is being laid, neighbored 
by yonder towers, the finest portals in the world 
shall arise. Germany is erecting them, and may 
they, by the grace of God, be the portals through 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

which Germany shall enter upon a new, grand, and 
good time. The spirit which builds these gates is 
the same that nine and twenty years ago broke 
our fetters, prevented our country from being dis- 
graced, and this river's bank from becoming foreign 
soil. And may this grand work proclaim to gen- 
erations yet unborn a Germany which, owing to the 
unity of its princes and its people, is great and 
powerful, and which bloodlessly compels peace 
among the nations of the world !" 

Henceforward, with the assistance of the build- 
ing committee, great activity prevailed and its 
progress was observed with much joy. Finally, in 
1863, after centuries of labor, the noble edifice with 
the exception of the north and south tower, might 
be considered practically finished. Accordingly, on 
the fifteenth of October, which was the birthday 
of King Frederic William IV, it was with great 
pomp consecrated to divine service by Archbishop 
John von Geissel. 

King William I took the same deep interest as 
his late brother in affairs relating to the cathedral 

Work on the towers continued without ceasing 
On the fifteenth of October, 1880, the Emperor 
William I, surrounded by the whole royal family, 
most of the sovereign princes of Germany, noble- 
men and officers of the empire, laid the cope- 
stone of this magnificent structure. Thus this sub- 
lime monument of Gothic architecture was com- 
pleted ! 

167 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

The German nation may well look up with pride 
to a work which so magnificently proclaims the in- 
dustry, art, grandeur, and unity of Germany. 

It would require a volume to give anything like 
a complete survey of the interior of the Cathedral 
of Cologne. I shall not undertake it. I have only 
gone into the above detail because I have been so 
deeply impressed with what it has meant to build 
the wonderful cathedrals of Europe. During the 
time intervening between laying the foundation- 
stone and the cope-stone of these stupendous struc- 
tures, generation after generation passes away ; 
king after king lays down his scepter and another 
takes it up; builder after builder leaves his plans 
for another to carry forward; bishop after bishop 
gives his place in the diocese to his successor. And 
when, at last, the superb temple of art, beauty and 
religion stands forth in its exquisite perfection, all 
of its old friends have joined "the silent caravan of 
those gone on before." But what of it? They have 
left their messages in stone, in marble, in bronze, in 
sculpture, in mosaics, in art — a voiceless plea for 
the beautiful, a ceaseless inspiration toward higher 
and purer ideals ! 

Our stay was brief in Cologne and our sight- 
seeing quite informal. On the morning following 
our arrival, I, in company with Miss Bernhard, 
Ambassador from Pennsylvania, started out at nine 
o'clock to visit the cathedral. We found as we en- 
tered that holy high mass was being read in full 

168 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

state. We seated ourselves in one of the vacant 
pews, and so intensely impressive was the ceremony 
that we remained seated until its close, listening to 
the solemn service and being refreshed by the in- 
spiring bursts of music which rolled forth in occa- 
sional peals from the great organ. 

When the service was ended we strolled leisurely 
through the building, viewing the different chapels 
and altars, the lofty vaultings which make one 
almost dizzy, and admiring the gorgeous windows. 
My companion, with blood of crusaders coursing 
in her veins, was ever on the alert to find some 
memorial in honor of her ancestors in these won- 
derful cathedral windows. 

The whole interior is most impressive in its ma- 
jestic and awesome beauty. 

The treasury chamber contains many sacred 
relics. I must say that while these appeal in a way 
to human curiosity, they do not appeal strongly to 
American credulity nor to liberated religious 
thought. From my own viewpoint, the supersti- 
tious beliefs of the Middle Ages have no legitimate 
place in the enlightened knowledge and spiritual 
understanding of the twentieth century. I believe, 
and I say it sincerely, in charity, in reverence, and 
with only the kindliest feelings toward all human- 
ity, that it would be the greatest possible step 
forward and upward if all the people could be freed 
from the bondage of belief in the supernatural 
power of dead saints; the miraculous power of 

169 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

sacred relics, and would let the living King of 
Glory come into their churches, their hearts and 
their lives ! Men and women are seeking the light. 
Why keep them in darkness? They are hungering 
for Truth; for that illumined understanding which 
reveals men and women, not as miserable worms of 
the dust, but as the sons and daughters of God ! 

The Shrine of the Magi is of pure gold, richly 
adorned, and wrought in the highest skill of the 
goldsmith's art. It is a perfect model of a Roman 
basilica and is said to contain the bones of the Three 
Wise Men of the East, who were led by the Star 
of Bethlehem to the manger cradle of our Lord! 
These relics were bestowed by Frederic the Red- 
Bearded, after they were taken from Milan. 

One legend about the relics of the Magi runs as 
follows : 

The relics were, until 1164, in a nun's convent at 
Milan. The brother of the abbess of this convent, 
who was burgomaster, had incurred the displeas- 
ure of the emperor, then besieging the town, and 
the latter had sworn to kill him. The Cologne 
archbishop, Reinold von Dassel, promised the 
abbess to save her brother, if she would give him 
the relics of the Three Holy Kings. After the sur- 
render of the town, Reinold made the emperor 
promise to give the abbess whatever she could carry 
out of the town on her shoulders. She carried out 
her brother. Reinold received the reliquary, which 
was brought to Cologne and deposited with much 

170 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

solemnity in the cathedral. In honor of this great 
event, the magistrates of Cologne adopted the three 
crowns as the upper part of their crest. In 1337 it 
was finally placed in its present position, after hav- 
ing for many years been left in an obscure place. 
During the French revolution the relics were taken 
to Frankfort-on-the-Main, from where they were 
brought back the eleventh of January, 1804. 

The body of the Cologne Cathedral measures five 
hundred feet in length, two hundred and thirty feet 
in breadth, and the towers are five hundred feet 
high. 

Within the past century the sum of five million 
dollars has been expended on the building. The 
total cost of the whole structure is estimated at ten 
million dollars. 

As we were about to leave the cathedral, we in- 
quired the way to the Church of Saint Ursula, and 
were most courteously directed by the official who 
had been showing us around, he even coming out- 
side to point out the way, that we might not get 
lost. 

This old church is noted as the place where are 
preserved the bones of the eleven thousand virgins, 
companions of Saint Ursula, who, according to tra- 
dition, were slaughtered at Cologne by the Huns 
because they refused to break their vows of 
chastity. In the "Golden Chamber" are the coffin 
of the saint, and the skulls of a few of her maidens 
encased in silver. 



171 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Other churches were well worth a visit, but the 
morning was far spent and we hastened back to the 
hotel. 

On our way there we came upon the quaintest 
of market places. Men, women and children were 
squatting about on the ground with all kinds of 
fruits, vegetables and other edibles for sale. The 
ensemble, however, did not look tempting nor appe- 
tizing. 

In the meantime, some of our party had gone 
carriage-riding; some street-car riding, while others 
had joined a morning tally ho party. But the noon 
hour found us at luncheon, soon after which we 
held an informal meeting to decide a question which 
had arisen unexpectedly. Again our baggage was 
made ready and we were soon off for Amsterdam, 
after a brief but most comprehensive glimpse of 
Cologne, Queen City of the German Rhine. 



172 




BOOK NUMBER FOURTEEN 

Sty? iGattft of Um&mtiia mb 

IE had all looked forward with intense interest 
to our visit to Holland — the land of wind- 
mills and wooden shoes — hence were de- 
lighted when the late afternoon of Tuesday, July 
first, found us in the city of Amsterdam. 

Scarcely had we reached our hotel when we re- 
ceived a call from the special representative of the 
American Consul at this place. The consul sent his 
regrets that, owing to the serious illness of his wife, 
with whom he was just leaving for Paris where she 
would submit to a surgical operation, he was unable 
to call in person, as he otherwise would have done. 
He presented his compliments and good wishes, as- 
suring us of his hearty sympathy with the purpose 
of our mission abroad. He expressed the belief that 
our visit was most timely and would do much to 
further the movement toward international peace. 

It was not long before dinner was announced. 
When we entered the dining-room, we were pleasantly 
surprised to see, on our long table, not only the col- 
ors of the United States, but also a gorgeous center- 
piece of white lilies and purple hyacinths in honor 
of the Woman's Republic. 

173 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

The Dutch mind is supposed to move slowly in its 
deliberations ; but the proprietor, seeing us all wear- 
ing badges of purple and white, knew it meant some- 
thing, so he simply put two and two together with 
charming result. 

As the evening twilight in these far northern coun- 
tries lasts until nine or ten o'clock, we had ample 
time to see something of the town before retiring 
for the night. Wednesday morning the carriages 
were at the door early to take us for a sight-seeing 
spin around the city. 

Amsterdam, the metropolis of the Netherlands, lies 
alongside an arm of the Zuider Zee. It has a popu- 
lation of six hundred thousand and is the commer- 
cial capital of Holland. The city is divided by the 
Amstel and numerous canals into small islands, 
which are connected by hundreds of bridges. Am- 
sterdam, with its network of waterways, reminds 
one somewhat of Venice. But the style of archi- 
tecture and the national "atmosphere" are entirely 
different. One is decidedly Italian, the other de- 
cidedly Dutch. 

In Amsterdam, as in Venice, the houses are all 
built on piles, as the ground is altogether too sandy 
and unstable to support them without such reinforce- 
ment. The Royal Palace — the former Stadhuis con- 
verted into a palace for King Louis Bonaparte — 
rests upon fourteen thousand of these piles driven 
deep down into the soft earth. This beautiful pal- 
ace, while it is still retained by the reigning House 

174 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

of Holland, is occupied just one week each year by 
the present royal family, though it contains apart- 
ments of great splendor. 

A fine birdseye view of the town and its surround- 
ings is gained from the high bridge over the Amstel. 
From this elevation the city seems to spread out 
like a mammoth crescent, its many islands intersected 
by long, sleepy-looking canals. These canals are nar- 
row and shallow and are only navigable for small 
craft. The larger ships and sea-going vessels all drop 
anchor in the beautiful roadstead facing the city. 
Out beyond the municipal environs stretch fair, 
green meadows and broad pasture-lands. Every- 
where the landscape is dotted with picturesque 
windmills, which furnish the motive power for the 
grinding of corn and the sawing of wood. 

The drive along the somewhat narrow but well- 
kept thoroughfares of this ancient-modern city was 
most interesting and pleasing. Amsterdam, like many 
of the Old World cities, was at one time strongly 
fortified, and also like them, the old fortifications and 
ramparts have been leveled, and the spaces once oc- 
cupied by grim-looking walls of defense have been 
transformed into fine boulevards, beautiful prome- 
nades, parks, gardens, and attractive home-sites, all 
of which are eloquent tributes to the progress and 
upward trend of the human race. 

At the present time Amsterdam's only defense con- 
sists in the sluices several miles away, by which the 
surrounding land can be flooded in a few hours. 

175 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

It seems almost paradoxical when we realize that 
Holland, which has been practically reclaimed from 
the sea, must ever protect herself from its encroach- 
ments, and yet the sea, in turn, is her great and only 
protection ! 

One of the first places of interest we visited was 
a large diamond-cutting establishment. Here we saw 
this work in all stages of progress, from the crude 
stone in its native dullness, to the finished gem in 
all its prismic splendor and beauty. 

The cutting and polishing of precious stones is one 
of the chief industries of Amsterdam. There are sev- 
eral large establishments, employing a great number 
of workers, the one we visited being the most import- 
ant. 

Our drive included the beautiful Vondel Park, con- 
taining a fine statue of Joost van den Vondel, who is 
considered the greatest Dutch poet, and from whom 
it is believed that Milton received suggestions for 
his "Paradise Lost." 

Near this park is the Ryks Museum, the largest in 
Holland, and one of the most interesting we visited 
anywhere. It is, one might say, a condensed illus- 
trated history of the Netherlands. On the ground 
floor are assembled some wonderful exhibits of in- 
dustrial art: naval, colonial and military collections; 
old Dutch rooms with quaint, old-time furniture; 
splendid groups of Delft wares, Dutch toys and many 
other unique things. 

176 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

But what appealed to us most was the wonderful 
collection of Dutch national costumes, dating from 
the thirteenth century, showing the evolution of dress 
up to the present time. Some of the early-day cos- 
tumes in all their primitiveness, including the wooden 
shoes, are still worn by women of the fishing dis- 
tricts. 

In these days when there is so much prying into 
ancient history, and into old art galleries in the mad 
rush after the quaint and the unusual with which to 
tempt the jaded votaries of Fashion, I wonder that 
some enterprising designer does not discover this 
rich collection hidden away in the Ryks Museum, and 
thereby startle the fashionable world with his novel 
and original (?) ideas and, incidentally, make a for- 
tune for himself. 

Ascending to the floor above we viewed many fine 
paintings, including the masterpiece of Rembrandt, 
"The Night-Watch." Amsterdam is very proud of 
Rembrandt, and has reared in his honor a beautiful 
monument, which stands in a flower-platted little nook 
called Rembrandt Plein. This great painter, how- 
ever, was not born in Amsterdam, but at Leyden, not 
far away — a place fraught with peculiar interest for 
Americans, as it was from Leyden that the Puritans 
set sail for our own country. When we who have 
crossed the Atlantic in a modern ocean liner, sur- 
rounded by every comfort and luxury, think of that 
little band of pilgrims leaving their home-land to 

177 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

cross the perilous sea, in a tiny sailing vessel, we 
can only marvel at their courage. 

Such ventures, though, are history-making and have 
their part in working out the destiny of nations. 

It has been said that painters and poets are very 
much a matter of fashion. However true, or un- 
true, this statement may be, George Eliot has the 
credit of being the one who first set the fashion in 
literature for the Dutch painters. She loved their 
naturalness, their simplicity, their trueness to life and 
to Nature. We do know that these qualities emphasize 
themselves in the critical public mind as it approaches 
the intellectual status of the great English authoress. 

Rembrandt Van Rijn — his paternal name was Van 
Rijn — was the son of a miller in well-to-do circum- 
stances. One visionary writer has assumed that the 
celebrated painter was born in a windmill, and sug- 
gests that the dim, narrow windows of his infancy 
had something to do with the deep shadows which 
we always associate with his work. This story, how- 
ever, is legend pure and simple, not history. Evi- 
dently it was fully understood in the Van Rijn house- 
hold that the lad would be a painter, not a miller. 
In anticipation of such a profession, the boy was 
sent while quite young to study in Amsterdam. 

Years of happy home life for the young artist was 
followed by successful art work at Amsterdam. In 
1634 he was married to Saskia van Ulenburgh, a beau- 
tiful Dutch maiden, who died less than ten years later. 
Saskia has been immortalized on many a canvas by 

178 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

her gifted husband. Her face is familiar to most 
students and lovers of art. Wherever one sees a Rem- 
brandt painting containing a woman's face, one will 
see the influence and inspiration of the artist's charm- 
ing young wife. One somehow intuitively feels that 
with her love she "brought a soul" to the work of 
the great master. 

Rembrandt was born in Ley den, 1606, and died in 
Amsterdam, 1674. 

We next visited Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), an 
old edifice dating from the early part of the fifteenth 
century. There is also an Oude Kerk (Old Church), 
which has an additional century of age to its credit ; a 
fine Roman Catholic Cathedral, and the great Portu- 
guese Synagogue. Inasmuch, however, as we only 
had time to visit one of these, our conductor chose 
this one in order that we might see the beautiful 
chancel and its elaborate and intricately carved pul- 
pit. 

The church contains many interesting things along 
the line of antiques ; also tombs of several men of 
valor who have left their impress on the history of 
the Netherlands. Most notable among those whose 
remains rest here is Admiral De Ruyter, who is hon- 
ored with a fine memorial. This monument recalls 
the turbulent times of the seventeenth century, when 
wars of conquest and struggles for supremacy kept 
the naval fleets of these northern countries in active 
service most of the time. It also commemorates a 
life of unflinching courage in the discharge of duty, 

179 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

and indicates, too, the heights to which an obscure, 
unlettered youth may sometimes reach. De Ruyter's 
parents were extremely poor. They sent the lad to 
sea, at the age of eleven years, as cabin boy, from 
which lowly place he finally rose to the admiralty. In 
recognition of his valiant service in defeating the 
Swedish fleet in 1659, he obtained a title of nobility 
and a pension from the King of Denmark. His whole 
life, practically, was spent upon the high seas, where 
he figured in many a bitter and stubborn conflict, and 
where, in a desperate battle off the coast of Sicily, he 
received fatal wounds in the defense of Spain against 
France. History tells us that all Europe, even na- 
tions hostile to his own, honored his bravery. 

De Ruyter and Rembrandt were contemporaries. 
The admiral was born one year later and died two 
years later than the painter. Amsterdam has honored 
them both. 

In the afternoon most of the ambassadors attended 
the exposition going on in Amsterdam, and were de- 
lighted. The Woman's Building was a revelation 
as to what the Dutch women have accomplished in the 
last century. The exhibit portrayed the progress of 
one hundred years — 1813-1913 — and it is doubtful if 
the women of any country could make a better show- 
ing. 

Their progress, too, has been along safe and sane 
lines. It means better homes, broader lives and higher 
ideals. 



180 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

As we noted their exhibits of clever handiwork, 
their modern ways of doing things, the new appli- 
ances and inventions they are bringing into every- 
day service, we realized that the representative 
women of Holland are indeed wide-awake and are 
keeping fully abreast with the spirit of the times. 

As we moved along through the building, viewing 
the various interesting displays, we felt complimented 
when we came upon our own photographs — those of 
all the Ambassadors of the Woman's Republic — 
spread out among those of other women who are 
working for human betterment, and to whom the 
rank-and-file of all countries are looking for help 
and inspiration toward a more equitable representa- 
tion and a larger share in the world's work. 

This fine building, with its instructive exhibits, re- 
flected great credit on the earnest home-loving women 
of Holland. It was indeed a privilege to spend an 
afternoon within its walls. 

The shops of Amsterdam are most attractive, and 
goods are so cheap that we could not refrain from 
making a few purchases. In the line of souvenirs, the 
wares are simply irresistible. Here we found the 
dearest little sketches and post-cards, exquisite as 
water-colors, showing the quaintest Dutch scenes im- 
aginable, for a mere penny or two. We scarcely knew 
when to quit buying, for in no other way could we 
carry home with us so many refreshing reminders 
of this thrifty, fascinating country under far northern 
skies. 

181 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

The ambassadors were all interested in civics and 
social service — Mrs. William Grant Brown, Dr. 
Emma Wing-Thompson, and Mrs. Mattie O. Pepler 
especially so. These ladies grew quite enthused over 
the dairy system of Amsterdam, declaring that it sur- 
passes any they have found either at home or abroad. 
The utmost sanitation is maintained all down the line. 
After the cans and bottles are filled with the fresh, 
new milk, they are sealed before leaving the dairy. 
Each dairyman has his own individual seal. This, of 
itself, is an incentive to carefulness, for, through this 
system, if any illness arises from the use of milk, the 
trouble can be traced directly to the party responsi- 
ble. The dairies are under the most rigid inspection 
and must be kept clean and wholesome. The cows, 
too, are closely inspected and must be healthy and 
normal for milk supply. 

The Hollander is brought up and trained to dairy 
farming, hence he fully appreciates the value of 
careful and thorough methods. Most of the farms 
are owned by the men who operate them. These 
farmers are, as a rule, industrious and thrifty and 
their children are well educated. 

Amsterdam has experienced many vicissitudes 
since its beginning as a fishing village, seven hun- 
dred years ago. But, through stress of wars, inva- 
sions and business depressions, the sturdy Holland- 
er has stood, stoic-like, and refused to surrender to 
untoward conditions. Today the city is rich and 

182 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

powerful and is evidently enjoying an era of gen- 
uine prosperity. We had enjoyed immensely our 
brief stay in this quaint old city of canals and 
bridges, but Thursday morning, when the carriages 
drew up at the door to convey us to the railway sta- 
tion, we were ready to say "good-bye" and turn 
our faces toward The Hague. 



*$* 



183 



1 



BOOK NUMBER FIFTEEN 

Stye Ifague unit tfj? pilar? nf Itear? 

HE distance is not great between Amster- 
dam and The Hague, but the ride of thirty- 
six miles gives one a comprehensive 
glimpse of the rural life of Holland. It makes a 
pleasing picture — the neat cottages with roofs of 
red tiles ; the meadow-lands thickly traversed by 
narrow canals ; herds of dairy cows contentedly 
grazing in green pastures ; women in characteristic 
dress working in the fields and gardens; small 
carts, drawn by faithful dogs bearing whatever bur- 
den that befalls them ; little children wearing 
quaint wooden shoes, while busy windmills turning 
everywhere add the picturesque touch to the pas- 
toral scene. 

As we neared Haarlem we were attracted by the 
flower farms with their wealth of color and fra- 
grance. Haarlem is noted for its trade in hya- 
cinths, tulips and anemones, the favorite flowers 
of Holland. 

We soon reached The Hague, which is a most 
delightful city. It is the home of the Queen of 
Holland, and since the sixteenth century has been 
the political capital of the Netherlands. 

The hotel for which we were booked is centrally 
located, and opens out into one of those charming 

184 




MISS IDA BERNHARD 

Ambassador from Pennsylvania 




MRS. MARGARET TUCKER 

Secretary of Treasury, Woman's Republic 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

arcades so appealing to tourists. Soon as we were 
settled, and had read our home letters, we started 
out with our conductor to do some sight-seeing be- 
fore luncheon. 

Walking down the long arcade to the open 
square, we found ourselves within a stone's throw 
of the Binnenhof, a dull red brick building dating 
from the thirteenth century. It was formerly a 
castle of the Counts of Holland. A portion of it 
is now used by the Dutch Parliament. About this 
somber-looking old building hovers a world of 
tragic history. Within the courts of the Binnenhof 
is another building called the Hall of the Knight, 
which was at one time a court of justice. It was 
before this Hall that Prince Maurice, in 1619, or- 
dered the execution of his prime minister, Jan van 
Olden Barneveldt. 

It is a pathetic story — a story all too typical of 
the times when the struggle for supremacy was, 
seemingly, the chief activity of men and of na- 
tions. 

Maurice, after the assassination of his father, 
William I, Prince of Orange, was elected stadt- 
holder or governor of the provinces of Holland and 
Zealand. At this time a considerable portion of the 
Netherlands was still under Spanish dominion. 
Maurice was one of the most skilful and noted 
generals of his time. Through his aggressive pol- 
icy and able leadership the Dutch captured cities 
and wrested fortresses from their enemies in rapid 

185 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

succession. Many important victories were scored 
by them ; and in 1609 Spain was forced to acknowl- 
edge the United Provinces as a free republic. 

In the meantime Maurice had become inflamed 
with a consuming desire for sovereign power, and 
to this end was using every means at his command, 
legitimate or otherwise. He failed, however, in 
this ambition. 

Barneveldt, on the other hand, was a statesman, 
a diplomat and an ardent advocate in the cause of 
independence for his country. Through his keen 
insight into affairs of state, he discerned the secret 
designs of Maurice to make himself absolute ruler 
of the provinces. 

Barneveldt greatly opposed the warlike tendencies 
of Maurice, and through his wise diplomacy had 
rendered his country inestimable service. He had 
brought into harmony hostile factions when parti- 
san feeling swelled into such bitterness that it 
threatened to end in civil war. The deeply-felt in- 
fluence thus exercised by the prime minister only 
increased the jealousy of the House of Nassau. Po- 
litical intrigue of the most insidious nature was at 
work. Personally, Barneveldt was viciously attacked 
by what we would term today a subsidized press; 
openly insulted in the state's meeting by the mob, 
who idolized Maurice, and finally was illegally ar- 
rested and thrown into prison. 

To make the tragic story short, Maurice, after 
some months, summoned the Synod of Dort, and 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

while it was still sitting, Barneveldt was brought to 
trial before a special commission of twenty-four 
judges, and the innocent man, to whom his country 
owed its political existence, was condemned as a 
traitor ! 

Friends, relatives, the French Ambassador and 
even the Dowager Princess of Orange sought to 
intercede for him, but Maurice was inexorable. The 
grand, venerable old man, seventy-one years of age, 
mounted the scaffold and laid down his head to the 
executioner's axe with the same courage and dig- 
nity that had characterized his whole political life. 

How oft, alas, in many a land have patriotism 
and martyrdom proven synonymous words ! 

Near by is the old Spanish prison, and in an open 
space in front of the Binnenhof, stands a fine 
statue of King William II, the great-grandfather of 
the present beloved ruler of Holland, Queen Wil- 
helmina. 

In the northwestern corner of this court of the 
Binnenhof stands the Mauritshuis, now the na- 
tional art gallery. This was our objective point. 
The fine art collections seen in European capitals 
are marvelous. The way the priceless canvases and 
sculptures are housed and treasured, and the way 
their great artists are honored and commemorated, 
is not only a beautiful and worthy tribute to genius, 
but it proves the value of art as a national asset — a 
legacy bequeathed by the centuries, whose intrinsic 
worth cannot be estimated on the cash register. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Holland loves her art and her artists. The old 
Dutch masters are especially well represented in the 
national collection at The Hague. 

One could spend weeks in this gallery and not be 
weary. But we could only linger a few moments 
before a single canvas, no matter how interesting 
a story the picture told. 

It is scarcely possible to particularize in an art 
collection when every canvas bears the stamp of 
the master-hand. Our admiration was shared about 
equally among Rembrandt, Potter, Dou, Jan Steen, 
Van Dyck and some others — all of whom are well 
represented. 

Mrs. Alice Dean Schneider, Ambassador from 
Tennessee, who is a critic as well as a lover of fine 
art, fairly reveled in the old Dutch masters. In 
fact, Mrs. Schneider's taste inclines her toward the 
classics. As a clubwoman she has given much time 
to self-culture and was ready for the finishing 
touches afforded by our European trip — as, indeed, 
I believe, all of us were. 

But, returning to the artists, the paintings of Jan 
Steen are a delight. He was a most prolific painter, 
and many of his best pictures are in this collection. 
How charmingly he depicts the homely scenes and 
humorous incidents of everyday life ! Children and 
domestic animals have popular place in his pictures, 
and their "stories" are read at a glance. As an ar- 
tist of the Dutch school Jan Steen ranks high. His 
works are now of much value. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

One section of the gallery is called the Orange 
Room. In it are gathered the portraits of the va- 
rious members of the House of Orange. 

Probably the most notable work of the entire 
collection is "The Young Bull." It was painted for 
Maurice, Prince of Orange, by Paul Potter, the 
celebrated animal painter. When the country was 
overrun by the French, this painting was carried 
away to Paris, but was afterward bought back by 
the Dutch government for sixty thousand florins, 
or about thirty thousand dollars. 

Although Potter passed away before he had 
reached the age at which the average artist is sup- 
posed to "find himself," he is one of the most dis- 
tinguished painters of the Dutch school. His cat- 
tle pieces are classed above similar works of any 
other artist. So precocious was he in the technique 
of his art that he, at the age of fifteen years, had 
gained an enviable reputation. Commissions for 
work poured in on him ; but, under too close appli- 
cation to his easel, his health, always delicate, gave 
way and he died at the early age of twenty-eight 
years. 

Numerous canvases of Rembrandt are preserved 
in The Hague collection, notably his gruesome yet 
powerful painting, "The Anatomy Lesson." One 
can only marvel at the well-nigh infinite skill with 
which the subject is delineated — the true-to-life ex- 
pression on every face; the tensity of feeling, and 
the earnestness with which every word of the 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

learned professor is being received. So realistic is 
the scene, one would scarcely be surprised to see 
the little group of scientists step bodily from the 
great golden frame, living, breathing, moving men! 

Many other pictures from the same brush are 
here — strong faces of men and women of the 
seventeenth century which still live to the world 
today out of the shadows of Rembrandt's art. 

The works of Van Dyck are not so entirely 
Dutch in character. They show decided influence 
of the French and Italian schools. Van Dyck was 
first a pupil of Rubens, but afterward studied in the 
different art centers of Europe, which has given 
greater versatility to his style and a more cosmo- 
politan spirit to his conceptions. 

Dou, the most exquisite of Dutch genre painters, 
is well represented here, as he also is in other gal- 
leries we visited. He was a pupil of Rembrandt, 
but developed artistic qualities altogether unlike 
those of his master. His was a genius of different 
type, finding its highest expression in marvelous 
color effects, beautiful, radiantly, gloriously beauti- 
ful, beyond the realm of praise or criticism. 

Dou loved the beauties of Nature, and portrayed 
them with a truthfulness of which only a great ar- 
tist is capable. His canvases, as a rule, are small, 
but are such gems of art that they have com- 
manded princely prices. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Rembrandt, Steen and Dou were all born in Ley- 
den, an old university town nestled on a cluster of 
fifty islands at the mouth of the Rhine. 

It was the privilege of our embassy while abroad 
to see three of the four most noted paintings in the 
world — Da Vinci's "Last Supper"; Rembrandt's 
"The Night Watch," and Potter's "The Young 
Bull." The fourth, Raphael's "Transfiguration," is 
in the Vatican at Rome, a city not included in our 
itinerary. 

The next place we visited was the old Spanish 
prison in which political prisoners used to be con- 
fined. It was here that Cornelius De Witte was 
imprisoned and tortured on a charge of conspiracy 
against the House of Orange. His brother, Jan De 
Witte, a noted statesman and at one time grand 
pensionary, went to greet him on his release, and 
as they came forth from the prison they were at- 
tacked by an infuriated mob and both of them were 
murdered. 

I must confess that I did not want to see this 
old prison. We had just come from the presence 
of the immortals and it seemed too bad that the 
uplift of feeling inspired by genius should be de- 
pressed by viewing instruments of human torture. 

But the duty of the historian is to record facts. 
It is quite possible, too, that many for whom I am 
writing may be especially interested in a brief ac- 
count of the grim old prison-house. 

191 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

The whole place fairly reeks with the atmosphere 
of the Dark Ages. Every room is a chamber of 
torture. The visions of cruelty they awaken make 
the heart sick. The most skilfully-contrived devices 
that the minds of demons could invent are here — 
mute witnesses of "man's inhumanity to man." The 
pillories, the racks, the branding irons, the chains, 
the screws, the stretching machines are only a few 
of these time-worn, rusting adjuncts of Spanish 
inquisition. 

Within these gloomy walls men were slowly 
starved to death, tantalized by the maddening odor 
of cooking viands. Here their heads were confined 
beneath the constant drip, drip of falling water 
until the poor, dizzy brains gave Avay under the 
acuteness of the agony. Here bones were broken, 
one by one, in the supreme lust of torture. Here 
women were stretched upon the rack, their feet 
confined in iron rings, their hands manacled, their 
heads bound beneath heavy bars of iron tied with 
knots of their own tangled hair, trying through the 
very exquisiteness of pain to wring confessions 
from them ! Oh, the horror of it all ! Spectres of 
death and spirits of terror seem lurking every- 
where! But let us drop the curtain. The tragedy 
is too awesome, too inhuman. 

O Spain, Spain, fair realm of the Southland, how 
thy haughty head must bow beneath the shame of 
such history! 

192 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

It was a relief to get out into the pure air, the 
summer sunshine. I could only rejoice that we are 
living in the twentieth instead of the seventeenth 
century. I rejoice, too, that in the Renaissance of 
Humanity the spirit of brotherhood is making it- 
self felt throughout the world. It must have full 
expression. Even though its final triumph may 
seem to be war, pestilence, famine and disaster, it 
will eventually lead all nations, through right ways, 
to the goal of Ultimate Good ! 

It was now high noon and we returned to our 
hotel for luncheon. 

At one o'clock the carriages drew up at the en- 
trance to the arcade and soon we were off for an 
afternoon of pleasure. Our program began with 
a drive about the city. The Hague is altogether 
pleasing and attractive. It is delightfully situated 
and well built, showing a harmonious commingling 
of Dutch and French in its architecture. The city 
is intersected in all directions by canals — busy 
highways of commerce bearing a ceaseless traffic 
on their placid waters. Wide streets and shady 
avenues, lined with spreading linden trees, are 
adorned with fine residences, including the royal 
palace and the homes of nobility. 

The Hague, being the seat of government, is es- 
sentially a city of fashion, and owes much of its 
business prosperity to the liberal patronage of the 
Dutch Court. 

193 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Our objective point for the afternoon was Schev- 
eningen, an important port of the North Sea ; also a 
popular pleasure resort of Holland. The way there 
is along a broad causeway through a magnificent 
forest. In this beautiful woodland on the outskirts 
of the town are many handsome country-seats, also 
" T Huis in 't Bosch" (the House in the Woods), 
a residence of the royal family containing many art 
works of note. 

Not far away is Ryswick, where in 1697 was con- 
cluded an important peace treaty, which put to an 
end the bloody contest in which France and Eng- 
land had long been engaged. The treaty was 
signed by England, France, Germany and Spain. 

A more ideal drive can scarcely be imagined than 
the one from The Hague to Schveningen. I have 
never seen an "enchanted forest," but the one 
through which we passed certainly suggested one. 
The great virgin trees are not only green in foliage, 
but their bodies and limbs, too, are green. I could 
only think of trees I had seen in landscape paint- 
ings and in priceless old tapestries. 

Nearing Scheveningen, the causeway is bordered 
with charming homes and villas set in delicious 
rose gardens — veritable rose trees full of riotous 
bloom, showing the utmost skill in floriculture. 

When we reached the port, we left our carriages 
for a stroll along the gay beach and the pleasant 
promenades. We were attracted by women fruit 
and flower venders dressed in primitive costumes, 

194 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

picturesque in the extreme. For, while Schevenin- 
gen is a fashionable resort place, it is also a fishing 
district whose natives are still toilers of the sea. 

Notwithstanding it was July, we had not since 
our arrival in Europe experienced any real Ameri- 
can summer weather. The day was quite cool, and 
cloth traveling suits were none too warm. A keen, 
brisk wind was lashing the sea into a tempestuous 
mood, for the North Sea is none too amiable at its 
best. Unmindful of this, hundreds of bathers, in 
exceedingly scant attire, were lounging in beach- 
baskets, and groups of little tots were rollicking on 
the sand, seemingly oblivious to the sharp whip 
of the wind. A long pier extending far out into the 
water connects with a large pleasure pavilion, gay 
with the music and festivities of a seaside resort. 
The Hollanders must be sturdy, indeed, if they 
really enjoy, as they evidently do, surf bathing in 
the teeth of a biting North Sea wind. 

After "doing" Scheveningen and gathering up a 
few more Dutch souvenirs, we started on our re- 
turn trip. 

We stopped at the Palace of Peace. This beauti- 
ful structure was receiving its finishing touches, in 
readiness for the dedication ceremonies soon to take 
place. 

No other building in the world holds such strong 
and vital international interest as does this wonder- 
ful edifice, set in grounds of beauty and harmony 
in the royal park of The Hague. 

195 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

It is inspiring to feel that through the great tri- 
bunals that shall henceforth sit in this palace, may 
come the fulfilment of prophecy — the vision seen 
by Isaiah thousands of )^ears ago : The end of war 
in all the earth! 

The structure is indeed worthy of the exalted ob- 
ject for which it is intended. Its construction, its 
decorations and its furnishings reflect the spirit of 
world-wide altruism. In 1907, through the far- 
sightedness of Baron d'Estournelles de Constant, 
the privilege was extended to all nations of donat- 
ing something characteristic of themselves to the 
structure. This privilege was accepted. Nothing 
else, it seems to me, could have contributed in so 
large a measure to its inestimable value, or to the 
sense of universal ownership, as the symbolizing 
in this way some distinctive, individual, national 
touch of every country. 

It was only right and logical that all nations 
should have part in the creation of the Palace of 
Peace. This policy of unity and co-operation was 
carried out with most gratifying results. Each 
country has contributed something characteristic of 
itself. From Norway and Sweden came the inde- 
structible granite ; France presented the magnifi- 
cent Gobelin tapestries which adorn the inner 
court, also a painting for the Hall of Justice ; Eng- 
land contributed the splendid windows of art glass ; 
from Belgium came the great bronze doors of the 
main entrance; America gave the exquisite group 

196 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

of statuary adorning the grand stairway ; Denmark 
donated the fountain in the court-yard ; Austria sent 
the bronze-and-crystal candelabra in the vestibule. 
Hungary, Turkey, Roumania, Brazil, San Salvador, 
Russia, China — all countries, in fact — are represented 
by some fitting offering to the noble peace edifice. 
The gift of The Hague is a golden candelabra. The 
beautiful teakwood used throughout the building 
came from the Dutch colonies. The walls in the 
assembly room are hung with Japanese draperies, 
manufactured expressly for the purpose and were 
donated by the government of Japan. 

Thus, there has arisen in a wonderful way a pal- 
ace of the nations, permeated through and through 
with the spirit of peace, good will and human broth- 
erhood ! 

The sunken gardens, the lake, the shrubs, the 
flowers and the greenwood combine in making a 
charming setting for this great building, with its 
splendid facades, classic colonnades, and imposing 
towers, standing in the fine old wood, a silent 
pledge of better things for all the nations of the 
world ! 

The Palace of Peace was built after designs by 
Cordonnier, a noted French architect, in collabora- 
tion with Van de Steuer, a well-known Dutch archi- 
tect. The grounds were laid out by Mawson, an 
English landscape gardener, whose designs were 
chosen after an open competition. The chief archi- 

197 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

tect was selected in the same manner, and was one 
of two hundred and fifteen competitors. 

After a most enjoyable afternoon, we returned to 
the hotel, where, incidentally, we partook of an ex- 
cellent dinner. 

We spent the evening among the gay shops, with 
their alluring wares, which line both sides of the 
brilliantly-lighted arcades. 

The farther we went on our delightful journey 
the more we realized the great privilege that had 
come to us, and the more frequently we voiced our 
gratitude that "our lines had fallen in pleasant 
places." 

We were reluctant to leave The Hague. We were 
so comfortable, and the charm of the place was so 
impelling. But our time was up. 

Friday morning, July fourth, as we sat at break- 
fast in the big dining-room, a large party of English 
tourists arrived and were seated at a special table 
near our own. This little incident occurred : The 
American colors gracing our board, and the Wom- 
an's Republic colors gracing our persons, evidently 
attracted the attention of our English neighbors. 
The leader of the party arose, and, coming to our 
table, introduced himself to me. I, in turn, intro- 
duced him to the ambassadors, collectively, with a 
brief statement concerning the purpose of our visit 
abroad. The gentleman, then, in behalf of his party, 
made quite a gallant speech. He congratulated us 
most heartily on our mission, on the anniversary of 

198 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

our "Glorious Fourth," and on the world progress 
that has been made under the Stars and Stripes. 
The tribute was beautiful as it was unexpected, and, 
coming from an Englishman, we felt especially grati- 
fied. 

How easily, though, the veil of the past is lifted! 
How readily, too, the soul responds to the spirit 
of patriotism! In an instant my thoughts were 
flying back to the colonial days of our country ; to 
the time when the spirit of independence was burn- 
ing in the bosoms of our forefathers — as it ever 
must burn in the hearts of all true men and women 
who find themselves in the thraldom of unjust bond- 
age ; in allegiance to a power they no longer can 
honor. I could almost hear echoing down the cen- 
turies that patriotic declaratioin of Richard Henry 
Lee, of Virginia, voicing the sentiments of that 
grand old commonwealth in these words : "These 
united colonies are, and of right should be, free and 
independent states." I could fancy, too, how care- 
fully every point was considered in the two-days' 
debate intervening between the offering of that reso- 
lution and its adoption. One can appreciate the 
delicacy and the gravity of the task of preparing a 
declaration of independence, and of framing articles 
of confederation. But there were statesmen in that 
Colonial Assembly big enough for the work — men 
who were making history greater than they knew. 

Twenty-one days later that immortal document — 
The Declaration of Independence — in the hand- 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

writing of Thomas Jefferson, was reported. The re- 
port was taken up July the first and debated for four 
days. It was a serious matter, a far-reaching step 
to take. No wonder that little band of patriots felt 
the necessity of "hanging together" to obviate, if 
possible, the otherwise certainty of "hanging 
singly." 

But the hand of destiny was guiding them; the 
spirit of freedom inspiring them. The now historic 
document was adopted by the Colonial Congress, 
July fourth, 1776 — just one hundred and thirty- 
seven years ago that beautiful morning — and since 
that memorable time the Goddess of Liberty has 
been our patron saint, and Old Glory has never 
been dishonored! 

There was, however, one grave oversight in the 
drafting of the Declaration of Independence. It 
failed to recognize women as citizens of the new 
republic. This wrong is, at last, being slowly and 
tediously righted and the status of women is gradu- 
ally trending upward. In this connection, it is well 
to remember that no man or woman can be a true 
patriot who does not desire and seek to express his 
or her love of country through that country's polit- 
ical system. 

After breakfast our baggage received a few ad- 
ditional stamps and tags, carriages were announced 
and we were off for Ghent. 



200 



BOOK SIXTEEN 

0%nt % ffittg nf JUxmttra 



■3 



BOUT midday, Friday, July the fourth, we 
arrived at Ghent, an old, old city of Bel- 
gium whose fortunes have fluctuated with 
the "ups and downs" of the Netherlands. Ghent is 
situated on a cluster of twenty-six islands formed 
by the Scheldt and its tributaries. These islands 
are divided by numerous canals which are spanned 
by hundreds of bridges. 

Like practically all cities dating from so far down 
the centuries, Ghent is surrounded by a wall of 
defense. This wall encloses an area of eight miles 
in circuit, and through its seven gateways the 
town is entered. The architecture of Ghent indi- 
cates its history, and runs the scale from the quaint 
and fantastic to the thoroughly modern and up-to- 
date. On the whole, the city is well and substan- 
tially built, and lying all around it are thrifty- 
looking farms and gardens. 

Ghent is pre-eminently a city of flowers. They 
adorn the streets and promenades most profusely. 
Veritable bowers of gay blossoms and trailing vines 
grace even the prosaic lamp-posts, swing from the 
window ledges and balconies, adding by their 
beauty and fragrance a charm altogether pleasing. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

No special sight-seeing had been planned for the 
afternoon. Ghent was included in our itinerary 
chiefly on account of the International Exposition 
which we were scheduled to visit the next day. 

There was, however, much that was interesting 
to see, and we whiled away the afternoon following 
the inclinations of individual fancy. 

Every European city of importance has at least 
one noted church and a Fine Art collection. In this 
particular Ghent is not an exception. The Cathe- 
dral of St. Bavon is well worth a visit. It con- 
tains the famous painting, "The Adoration of the 
Lamb," by the Van Eyck brothers. The cathedral, 
in point of beauty, does not compare with that of 
Milan or Cologne, but it has a fine interior with 
several chapels, all of the Gothic period. Other 
noted art works to be seen here are Jansen's 
"Pieta," and "Saint Bavon Assuming the Cowl," 
by Rubens. 

I doubt if any other member of our party enjoyed 
the cathedrals quite so much as did Miss Neal, 
Ambassador from Florida, and her friend and com- 
panion, Miss Freeman. 

Ghent has many handsome buildings, including 
the Palace of Justice, a fine club-house, and an art 
museum containing many paintings and statues of 
note. 

But aside from history, art, and architecture, and 
simply as American women, we were not slow to 
remember that we were in the home of Brussels 



202 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

and Flemish laces, so dear to the feminine heart. 
We made no effort to remain in a body, but, in little 
groups or pairs, we wandered along the flower- 
hung streets lined with attractive shops, until some 
lace-filled window lured us within for a closer range 
of inspection. 

How daintily-exquisite these laces are ! Hand- 
wrought and delicate as a gossamer web, they ap- 
peal irresistibly to all womankind. 

It was in one of these little shops in Ghent that 
I parted with a certain sum of money given me 
by a dear friend as a bon voyage gift. "Get some- 
thing pretty for yourself in Europe," was her part- 
ing injunction. So the "something" took tangible 
form in a collar and jabot of real Brussels lace 
which will no doubt go down in my family as a 
precious heirloom. In fancy I can see this same 
lace, yellow with age, gracing the fair throat of a 
stately young maiden of the third generation. I 
can hear her say, with a little inflection of pride in 
her voice, "My grandmother brought this collar 
from Europe when she was sent there as one of the 
peace ambassadors of the Woman's Republic." 

No less enthusiastic over these filmy dress acces- 
sories was Mrs. Goodin, Ambassador from Kan- 
sas. She and I were good friends long before this 
journey was thought of and I have enjoyed many 
times the gracious hospitality of her beautiful home 
in the Sunflower State, and as traveling companions 

203 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 



we found much in common to enjoy and to en- 
thuse over together. She, too, has real lace to pass 
on down the line. Neither of us will forget our 
amusing experiences in making these purchases. 
The proprietress of the shop was most obliging, 
taking infinite pains to show us her beautiful goods, 
but as a linguist she was scarcely more proficient 
in the English language than we were in that of 
East Flanders. Adding to this the puzzling mat- 
ter of exchange of currency, one can readily grasp 
the situation. But the shopkeeper was resourceful, 
and had no intention of allowing two American 
customers to depart without the laces they had 
selected. So she sent for a neighbor who promptly 
came to the rescue, and, with a little better English 
on her part, and a few more expressive "signs" on 
our part, the transactions were closed with entire 
satisfaction to all concerned. 
According to a certain poet, 

"A little nonsense now and then 
Is relished by the wisest men." 

which, of course, means women, too. 

No normal woman can look on the serious side of 
life all the time, nor would it be wise to do so even 
if she could. Therefore, I do not feel called upon 
to apologize for the wholesome little lark we en- 
joyed that night in Ghent at the expense of Mrs. 
Jenkins, Ambassador from California. Rev. Edith 
Hill-Booker led the performance. At the end of the 
act I realized that when the church gained her as 

204 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

an evangelist the stage lost a star performer. 
Poor Mrs. Jenkins ! I doubt if she slept a wink 
that night. If she did it was with one eye upon a 
certain mysterious door opening into a dark recess 
whose purpose none of us knew. But the uncanny 
vision Mrs. Booker conjured up concerning it, and 
the dramatic way in which she presented it was 
worthy of Ellen Terry. All of us, I am sure, felt 
better after our indulgence in "the lighter vein," 
which was fun pure and simple. By the way, many 
amusing things happened on this trip, as most of 
us remember. 

Saturday morning, July fifth, as we were about 
to leave the hotel to visit the exposition, we re- 
ceived a most friendly call from the American 
Consul, Henry Albert Johnson. Mr. Johnson con- 
gratulated us most heartily upon our worthy mis- 
sion abroad, and assured us of his sincere approval 
and appreciation. He expressed a desire to render 
us any assistance within his power, and stated, in- 
cidentally, that he had just that morning received 
a military deputation from the United States be- 
fore calling to see us. Mr. Johnson was for twelve 
years Consul at Venice. He now lives at Ostend 
instead of Ghent. The gentleman evidently does 
not believe in race suicide, as he has an interesting 
family of nine children — one in New York, three in 
school in London, and five at home with the mother 
at Ostend. The Consul laughingly declared that 
while so large a family is not at all fashionable, 

205 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

he considers it quite democratic. Of the nine "olive 
branches" there is not one to spare. He is very 
hopeful of our new administration. On the whole, 
Mr. Johnson impressed us as being the right man 
in the right place. 

It was a long ride from our hotel to the exposi- 
tion grounds and afforded us an interesting view of 
the city. It was quite a distance, too, from the en- 
trance gates to the exposition proper. The road 
wound through a beautiful park and was lined with 
trees laden with artificial oranges and grape-fruit 
containing electric light bulbs. This was part of 
the illuminative scheme and doubtless made a gor- 
geous showing at night. 

The exposition was charmingly laid out, and built 
with artistic effect. The Court of Honor, the key- 
note to the general plan of the grounds, was beau- 
tiful indeed. The exhibits were comprehensive 
and interesting, but the attendance upon this par- 
ticular day did not afford a flattering outlook for 
financial success. Indeed, the only thing lacking 
was the throngs of people that give the vital human 
touch to enterprises of this nature. 

The Canadian Pacific exhibit in one of the great 
pavilions deserved a whole day of admiration. The 
vast panoramas giving such wondrous scenic ef- 
fects, together with the fruits, grains, birds, ani- 
mals and various indigenous products, formed a 
mammoth display both interesting and instructive. 

206 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

The art building was, of course, a dominant fea- 
ture. We only had time for a mere passing glance, 
but one could readily see even at a glance, that the 
showing was altogether creditable, especially in the 
sections devoted to the Belgian, French and Dutch 
paintings. Particularly pleasing were the charm- 
ing landscapes represented in Belgian art, also some 
interesting canvases indicating the modern Dutch 
school, notably a beautiful seascape, "Evening at 
Scheveningen," by Mesdag. 

English art was represented only by a compara- 
tively small exhibit, but the display reflected the 
national characteristics of that country in strength 
and seriousness of purpose. France, in fact, had 
by far the largest collection, but the canvases were 
not by any means of uniform excellence — some 
were exceedingly good, while others did not meas- 
ure up to the high standard one naturally expects 
from that art-loving nation. 

When we first reached the exposition grounds 
we were addressed by a little party of young Amer- 
icans, who told us that the United States building 
would be formally opened at four o'clock in the 
afternoon, and extended to us a cordial invitation 
to be present at the ceremonies. Knowing we 
would leave the grounds at an earlier hour, than 
that mentioned, and feeling desirous to see what 
Uncle Sam was showing, we went to the building. 

We were utterly disappointed and displeased, 
too, for there was only a section of a sort of general 

207 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

building filled with little booths where cheap wares 
were being sold as souvenirs; a few small exhibits 
of parties in Ghent who are handling some lines of 
American goods — nothing in any sense worthy to 
be called a United States building or an American 
exhibit. I heartily resented the flagrant misrepre- 
sentation, and wondered that our government had 
allowed such a thing to masquerade under the great 
name of the United States. The only exhibit at all 
typical of us as a nation was that of the California 
Commercial Clubs — those wide-awake, aggressive 
men of the Pacific Coast who never let an oppor- 
tunity pass for putting California on the map. Rep- 
resentatives of these were there "with the goods," 
even to their song: "We love you, California." 

Who does not admire their enterprising spirit ! 

The camera devotees of our embassy found inter- 
esting subjects for their films in two or three cou- 
ples of newly-weds who were having the time of 
their lives. They wore the primitive Sunday-best 
costumes of the fisher-folk of the North countries — 
costumes fearfully and wonderfully made, but pic- 
turesque in the extreme. 

As we left this truly beautiful exposition we 
could only regret that it was not more largely at- 
tended. We were told, however, that the evening 
attendance was much better. Of course, one can- 
not judge ultimate results by a single day. 

We returned to the hotel by a different route, 
thereby getting another view of the city. 

208 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

The situation of Ghent contributes to its com- 
mercial importance. The great canal which opens 
into the Schledt gives communication with the sea 
and its hundreds of sea-going vessels can drop 
anchor in the fine dock, or basin, lying along the 
northeastern side of the city. 

Though Ghent is mentioned as far back as the 
seventh century, its tangible history, so to speak, 
probably began in the ninth century when Baldwin 
Bras de Fer, first Count of Flanders, built a fortress 
there against the Normans. So great was its pros- 
perity and growth under the rule of the Counts of 
Flanders that in the fourteenth century Ghent was 
able to send into the field fifty thousand men. The 
citizens had not only accumulated wealth, but the 
large measure of freedom they enjoyed developed a 
corresponding spirit of patriotism which made them 
prompt to resist with arms, any attempt to infringe 
on their sense of right and well being. 

But the Netherlands has been the battleground 
of many a weary struggle, in most of which Ghent 
suffered seriously, and was frequently taken. 

The city was under French dominion from 1792 
until the fall of Napoleon in 1814, when it was in- 
corporated with Flanders in the Kingdom of the 
Netherlands. The population is now approxi- 
mately two hundred thousand. 

The most interesting historic fact connected with 
Ghent for Americans is the Treaty of Ghent, 

209 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

through whose negotiations the second war be- 
tween the United States and Great Britain was set- 
tled December fourteenth, 1814, and ratified the 
seventeenth of the following February. 

So fairly were the questions responsible for the 
hostility arbitrated that only the friendliest rela- 
tions have existed between the two countries dur- 
ing the intervening century. It is still referred to 
as the Treaty of Ghent. 

Our stay was short but pleasant in this quaint 
old city of flowers nestled upon green isles on the 
bosom of the Schledt. 

Late in the afternoon we said good-bye and 
boarded a train for Brussels. 



4* 



210 



BOOK NUMBER SEVENTEEN 

Intacta, %!eauttfrti (Eapital 
of !?lgium 

|^^H£ day was far spent when we reached Brus- 

m^fffii se ^ s ' ^ ie ca pi ta l Clt y °t Belgium, which, 
t^-y£ ! with its circle of ten suburbs, registers a 
population of seven hundred thousand. 

When our mail had been distributed we were 
conducted to our various rooms, all of them over- 
looking a pleasing court adorned with palms, 
shrubs, vines and flowers. We had proved to be 
such excellent travelers that no sense of weariness 
ever seemed to limit our capacity for sight-seeing. 
As dinner would not be served for more than an 
hour hence, we had time for a brisk walk along the 
Rue de la Colline, which leads to the Passage St. 
Hubert, an enormous glass-covered gallery, or ar- 
cade, in the heart of the popular shopping district 
of the city. At the end of this gallery is the St. 
Hubert's Theatre, and a little further on we came to 
the Cathedral of Saint Gudule, a fine Gothic structure 
founded in the thirteenth century. It has a splendid 
facade and is approached by a majestic sweep of 
stone steps. Its interior, like all the great churches 
of Europe, shows beautiful works of art in paint- 
ings, sculptures and stained-glass creations. The 

211 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

cathedral contains a wonderful pulpit, said to be the 
masterpiece of Verbruggen. The windows are ex- 
ceedingly fine. They typify the stolen "host," in- 
corporating in their scheme the portraits of a num- 
ber of famous princes. There are numerous monu- 
ments and statues of the Dukes of Brabrant and 
other distinguished persons, the most imposing of 
which is the monument to Count F. von Merode, by 
Geef. 

The Church of Saint Gudule is so charmingly situ- 
ated that its handsome towers, rising to a height of 
two hundred and sixty-five feet, afford an excellent 
view of the city, with its surrounding suburbs. 

Close by stands the National bank, a thoroughly 
modern building designed by two noted Flemish 
architects, Begaert and Jansens, showing clever 
adaptations of the style and period of Louis XVI. 
It is adorned with beautiful allegorical figures rep- 
resenting Commerce and Industry, the work of 
Wiener. 

Returning to the hotel, a good dinner awaited us, 
to which we brought the zest of the tourist appe- 
tite. From the dining-room we passed into a large 
reception hall and viewed a choice display of Flem- 
ish laces, which enterprising trades-people had in- 
stalled there. No doubt they have long since real- 
ized, to their own advantage, the lure of these deli- 
cate fabrics for American women. 

We spent the evening in social converse and with 
our correspondence. We were like a large family, 

212 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

each one feeling at liberty to enjoy herself in her 
own individual way, and yet we never seemed to tire 
of one another's society. Of course, there is always 
in operation that unwritten law of natural selec- 
tion which causes those most congenial to gravitate 
toward each other into a little closer intimacy, per- 
haps, but on the whole a spirit of good-fellowship 
and camaraderie characterized the entire embassy 
in a way that was gratifying. 

Sunday morning, July sixth, the carriages were 
at the door early, and soon we were driving about 
the beautiful city. 

To me nothing more forcibly emphasizes the pass- 
ing of the feudal spirit than the leveling of the grim 
old walls of defense and replacing them with beauti- 
ful boulevards and handsome residences, as Brussels 
has done in common with other European cities. 

Every frowning old rampart that is torn down 
marks a new milestone in human progress, and ac- 
centuates the awakening spirit of altruism, brother- 
hood and peace. Love is the fulfilling of the law, 
and nations and individuals governed by the Golden 
Rule would soon usher in the millennium — the reign 
of harmony on earth ! 

Brussels, with its picturesque situation, its wide, 
shady avenues, its inviting little parks or places, its 
splendid business, municipal and official buildings, 
its stately royal palace, its superb palace of justice, 
the beautiful homes of foreign ministers and pros- 
perous citizens, together with its imposing monu- 

213 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

merits and statuary, its fountains and its gardens, 
is one of the most attractive cities in all Europe. 

Our first stop was at the House of Parliament, 
which includes the Senate Chamber and the House 
of Deputies. Belgium is a limited monarchy, whose 
constitution was determined by the decree of Febru- 
ary seventh, 1881, and modified by the act of Sep- 
tember seventh, 1893. 

It consists at the present time of nine provinces, 
corresponding roughly with the original states from 
which it arose. Until the year 1830 it constituted 
an integral part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, 
from which it seceded on account of a difference as 
to the official language. Today French is, one might 
say, the court language of Brussels, while Flemish 
is the one most prevalent in the old portions of the 
city. 

In the year 1905 Belgium celebrated the seventy- 
fifth anniversary of her independence. The national 
government is vested in the House of Deputies, 
elected by the people, and in the Senate, chosen by 
the king. There are one hundred and eighty depu- 
ties and one hundred and twenty senators. The 
session hall of the Senate is said to be the finest as- 
sembly-room in Europe. Its walls are adorned with 
four magnificent Flemish tapestries, which are said 
to be unequaled anywhere. It required twelve years 
to complete the four pieces — 1872-1884. Red is the 
dominant color note throughout the decorative 

214 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

scheme, which is wrought out in extreme richness 
and elegance. The entrance to the senate cham- 
ber shows portraits of all the former presidents, and 
in an ante-chamber is a magnificent painting of Leo- 
pold I and Queen Louise, done soon after their mar- 
riage; also a fine marble statue of the queen. 

The portraits of the past presidents of the depu- 
ties are similarly shown in connection with the 
chamber of deputies. Everywhere the evidences of 
wealth and art go hand in hand and the result is 
extreme luxuriousness. 

Among the pictures assembled in this great capi- 
tol building, "The Flight of Napoleon From Water- 
loo" perhaps impressed us the most. There is an 
impelling fascination about it. As we gazed upon 
the terrific scene of carnage it portrays, we realized 
that at that moment we were within twelve miles 
of the place where, nearly one hundred years ago, 
this appalling spectacle occurred; where thousands 
upon thousands of the very flower of young man- 
hood were mown down like grass before the reaper's 
sickle, and where, as one historian tells us, one hun- 
dred and eighty thousand of the finest cavalrymen 
the world has even seen were ruthlessly sacrificed 
by that gigantic monument to personal ambition, 
Napoleon Bonaparte! 

Is it any wonder, then, that the mothers, wives, 
sisters and daughters of men, of every civilized na- 
tion, are rising as one woman and demanding that 
war shall cease? Oh, the shame, the sorrow, the 

215 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

pity of it all! But, thanks to an awakened public 
conscience, a truer understanding of human brother- 
hood, and a diviner sense of human justice, the time 
is not far distant when the glad peans of peace shall 
ring around the world. 

With the pathetic story of the picture brooding 
like a sombre shadow over the soul, we turned away, 
descended the grand stairway and entered our car- 
riages. We drove, by way of the Royal Palace, di- 
rectly to the Palace of Justice, the piece de resistance 
of Belgian architecture. 

A beautiful park adorned with fine statuary lies 
between the House of Parliament and the Royal 
Palace. As we neared the latter, we noticed the 
flag of the Duke of Luxembourg floating from one 
of the turrets, which announced the fact that this 
particular nobleman was at that time a guest of the 
royal family. 

The Palace of Justice is a structure of which any 
country might well feel proud. Built of pure white 
stone on a commanding eminence in the highest 
part of the city, its beauty and magnitude are al- 
most overwhelming. It is claimed to be one of the 
handsomest buildings in the world, and cost fifty 
million francs, or about ten million dollars Ameri- 
can money. It was designed by the noted archi- 
tect, Poelaert, and suggests in its treatment the in- 
fluence of old Egyptian and Assyrian edifices. The 
space in front of the law courts is named Poelaert 
Place, in honor of the architect. 

216 




MISS EDITH L. DAVIS 

Ambassador from Michigan 




DR. EMMA WING-THOMPSON 

Ambassador from New York 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Standing within its great portals one looks up to 
the dizzy interior of the dome, a height of three 
hundred and seventy-five feet. In this noble struc- 
ture are all the courts of law, court of assizes, and 
high criminal court. Wonderful statuary and monu- 
ments adorn the vast interior, and the many session 
halls, the various suites and departments are ex- 
tremely elegant with their luxurious fittings, fur- 
nishings, paintings and tapestries. At the foot of 
the grand stairway stand mammoth figures of 
Demosthenes and Cicero, and all about are classic 
characters of ancient Greek and Roman times. 

After driving along broad thoroughfares, view- 
ing the beautiful city, we stopped at the Wiertz 
Museum, which is housed in the former home of 
Anton Wiertz. This building was provided by the 
state for the artist on account of the great size of 
his canvases. 

Knowing nothing of this artist or his works, I was 
in doubt for a moment after entering this museum 
whether I was crazy or whether the creator of these 
pictures was. I knew instantly there was something 
abnormal somewhere. I soon emerged, however, 
from my sense of bewilderment and realized that I, 
at least, was clothed in my right mind. 

Wiertz was, in his peculiar way, a great artist. 
His works are broad and telling in their conception 
and handling, but their subjects are so weird, 
gloomy and gruesome that they almost give behold- 
ers nervous prostration. They certainly indicate, 

217 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

in many instances, the extreme frenzy and madness 
which sometimes characterize genius. The subjects, 
such as "Polyphemus Devouring Ulysses' Compan- 
ions," "Hunger, Madness and Crime," "Buried 
Alive," "The Lion of Waterloo," "Napoleon in 
Hell," most of them painted on canvases of immense 
proportions, will give the reader some idea of the 
grim imagery of the artist's distorted fancy. I do 
not criticize his technique — that is wonderful — but 
I do question the wisdom of harrowing up one's 
feelings with works of art that have no message, 
no inspiration, no uplift for humanity. 

Yet, in this collection there are two small can- 
vases that are marvelous in their truth and beauty. 
One shows a sleeping dog lying in his kennel. The 
perspective is so perfect that one can scarcely be- 
lieve that it is a painting. It is so true to life, so 
admirably executed, that seemingly only a whistle 
is necessary to call the drowsing animal from his 
kennel. The other one, showing the same method 
of handling, portrays a beautiful young girl leaning 
from a narrow casement window holding a rose in 
her hand, while over her shoulder the face of another 
maiden is faintly revealed through the soft shadows. 

One can only wonder why the artist who could 
visualize his thought in such appealing and natural 
way should conjure up the morbid visions of a night- 
mare and clothe them with the living vesture of his 
art. 

218 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Anton Wiertz was born in 1806 and died in 1865. 
It is said he was half-crazed through the terrors 
of the French Revolution. He lived in this house 
and never sold, or wanted to sell, his paintings, but 
earned his living painting portraits. The tools and 
models with which he worked are here ; also an old 
guitar, mute and unstrung, whose erstwhile tune- 
ful strings, let us hope, in some lonely hour may 
have soothed his over-wrought feelings and re- 
freshed his delirious imagination. 

We returned to the hotel to dinner, after which 
some of the ambassadors made a journey out to the 
Battlefield of Waterloo. 

Monday, July seventh, we were again on the 
wing, leaving Brussels in the forenoon for Paris by 
way of Antwerp, at which place we had dinner. We 
would gladly have tarried there a day or two, as 
Antwerp has an interesting history and much in 
the way of art to attract visitors. It is a strongly- 
fortified city, with a population of about four hun- 
dred thousand. With its immense docks, its vari- 
ous manufacturing interests and keen business ac- 
tivity, Antwerp is considered the commercial capi- 
tal of Belgium. 

Fortunately for us, the hotel at which we dined 
faces an attractive open square called Place Verte, 
in which stands the great Cathedral of Notre Dame. 
We had just time enough to pay a flying visit to 
this church, which is a magnificent example of 
Gothic architecture. The interior is imposing in its 

219 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

simplicity. It contains four splendid paintings by 
Rubens — "Descent From the Cross," "Elevation of 
the Cross," "The Assumption" and "The Resurrec- 
tion." There is also a lot of exquisite wood-carv- 
ings. The church has six aisles, and a nave one 
hundred and thirty feet high, supported by one hun- 
dred and twenty pillars. The immense chapels are 
decorated in artistic manner and adorned with fine 
paintings. The stately tower, which rises to a 
height of more than four hundred feet, has three 
galleries, and a chime of forty bells. A flight of 
six hundred steps leads to the second gallery. 

Near the large portal is the famous well, with its 
wonderfully-wrought dome of iron executed by 
Guentin Matsys, the celebrated blacksmith-artist. 

A fine bronze statue of Rubens adorns the square 
in which the cathedral stands. 

Inasmuch as Antwerp was not included in our 
itinerary, we were very glad to have even a fleet- 
ing glimpse of this wide-awake old Flemish city on 
the shores of the Schledt. At half past two o'clock 
we boarded a fast train for Paris. 



220 



BOOK NUMBER EIGHTEEN 

ptria, % (Sag Sfottrtf ffiapiial 



HE late afternoon of July seventh found us 
in the beautiful city of Paris, at home in the 
new Victoria Palace Hotel. 

Here we were scheduled for four days of sight- 
seeing — to say nothing of the nights, at which time 
the gay French capital is most alluring. 

It was the outing season of fashionable society 
folk, and we were told that there was really no one 
"worth while" in Paris at this time. This state- 
ment, however, did not in the least disturb us, as 
the pleasure of our visit did not hinge on the social 
side of Parisian life. We were prepared to spend 
four red-letter days in this fair city on the banks of 
the Seine. 

After dinner we gathered in the drawing-room 
and said good-bye and God-speed to Rev. Edith 
Hill-Booker, who left us at this point to attend the 
International Sunday School Convention, assembled 
at Zurich. Mrs. Booker carried credentials from her 
state, and, in behalf of the ambassadors, presented 
the message and resolution of the Woman's Re- 
public. She returned to Paris in time to join us 
before we left for London. 

It would seem presumptuous on my part to at- 
tempt to give anything like a graphic pen-picture 

221 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

of Paris. For two thousand years Paris has been 
making history teeming with human interest — 
history which time has recorded in science, lit- 
erature, music and architecture; history which 
has found expression in great master-works of art 
housed in palatial galleries, museums and churches ; 
history sculptured in marble and moulded in bronze 
gracing her streets and boulevards — majestic monu- 
ments which perpetuate her achievements, honor her 
men of genius, and commemorate her men of valor. 
Even ancient traditions and curious legends have 
been so visualized that they, too, have had their 
part in the development of this wonderful city to 
which the world looks today for the "last word" 
in scientific research, as well as for the latest man- 
date from the imperious Goddess of Fashion ! 

At nine o'clock Tuesday morning, we started out 
with a special guide (a teacher in the university 
utilizing his vacation), in addition to our own con- 
ductor. 

Our first stop was at the Luxembourg, where 
are housed splendid collections of paintings, statu- 
ary, tapestries, medals and curios. These collec- 
tions are exceedingly choice and include many can- 
vases of noted modern painters. 

The statuary is exquisite, much of it representing 
mythological characters — "Hector," "The Siren," 
"Narcissus," and many others. 

What an endless source of inspiration mythology 
has proven to painters, poets and sculptors! And 

222 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

who of us, even the rank-and-file, has not been cap- 
tivated by fantastic stories of gods and goddesses; 
charming romances of pretty nymphs and naiads 
haunting woodland and stream in less prosaic days 
than these! As the poets have immortalized them 
in verse, even so have painters and sculptors made 
them visible to a materialistic world, thereby help- 
ing humanity to understand that beauty is indeed 
one of the grand verities of being. 

As I loitered before the self-infatuated Narcissus, 
how freshly the story of the quaint myth came into 
remembrance. The whole train of disconsolate 
nymphs seemed to pass in airy vision before me. I 
could almost hear their whispered prayer that Nar- 
cissus, the unsusceptible god of the chase, might, 
too, be made to feel the pain of unrequited love. 
This somewhat selfish petition found answer when 
the youth became so enamoured of his own image 
in the water — the unattainable — that he pined away 
and died of love. The nymphs mourned, smote 
their breasts, and built his funeral pyre. But when 
they would have burned his body it could not be 
found. In its place had sprung up a beautiful flower 
with heart of gold and petals of snow — the fragrant 
white blossom which bears his name and enshrines 
his memory — the Narcissus ! 

But one must not pause too long before any bit 
of art, no matter how fascinating, for in trying to 
see the wonderful collections of Europe, we real- 
ized as never before that truly "Art is long and 

223 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

time is fleeting." Then, too, practically every gal- 
lery we entered has, in itself, historic associations 
of interest. The Luxembourg, for instance, was 
built as a royal palace by Marie de Medici, second 
wife of Henry IV. This naturally recalls some of 
the incidents of that unhappy reign with its doubly 
tragic ending — the murder of the king the day fol- 
lowing Marie de Medici's coronation ; the hopeless 
misrule in her government as regent; her political 
intrigues with politicians and court favorites after 
the assumption of royal power by her son, Louis 
XIII ; her efforts to influence and even to resist 
that mighty genius, Richelieu ; her revolutionary 
tendencies and attempts to bring about a civil war ; 
her later imprisonment, escape and flight into ex- 
ile — the victim of an over-weening ambition ; blinded 
by the fierce white light that beats about a throne. 
History records that the last days of this unfortu- 
nate woman were spent in absolute poverty, and 
that she died alone and friendless in a hayloft in the 
city of Cologne. 

Leaving the Luxembourg, we drove to the 
Louvre, a place that always takes position in the 
foreground when forming a mental picture of Paris. 
It has been one of the history-making spots of the 
French capital. 

The site of the ancient palace of the Louvre was 
originally an old hunting-seat, probably established 
for wolf-hunting, as its name in a manner indicates. 
Later it was covered by a fortress built by Philippe 

224 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Auguste. It was transformed into a royal residence 
by Charles V. Subsequently this was demolished 
and a new palace was erected for Francis I. The 
long picture gallery designed to connect the palace 
of the Louvre with the palace of the Tuileries was 
inaugurated by Catherine de Medici and Charles IX 
and finished by Henry IV. This vast structure, 
forming a square of a quarter of a mile in dimen- 
sions, was further enlarged and beautified by Car- 
dinal Richelieu, and the First and Third Napoleons, 
making it, on the whole, the most magnificent pal- 
atial residence in the world. 

The Tuileries continued to be the residence of the 
imperial family, while the Louvre formed a series 
of splendid art galleries, filled with masterpieces of 
chisel and brush, together with priceless collections 
of Greek, Roman and Egyptian antiquities. 

The Tuileries, and a portion of the Louvre hous- 
ing the great library, fell before the torch of the 
Communists, but the treasures of art escaped de- 
struction. A large sum of money was voted by the 
French Government for the restoration of the 
Louvre, and today it is the depository of art col- 
lections said to be matchless in scope, value and 
variety. 

The gardens leading to the Colonnade are adorned 
with statues of famous painters, including Meis- 
sonier, Boucher and Valequez. We entered the 
palace by the Denon gallery, so named for the noted 
art critic and etcher, Denon, who accompanied the 

225 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

First Napoleon upon his various expeditions of con- 
quest, and, incidentally, selected many rare speci- 
mens of art — the spoils of war — for the Louvre. 

Ascending the grand stairway, graced by a beau- 
tiful figure of "Victory," we passed into the Apollo 
gallery, hung with wonderful tapestries and con- 
taining many relics and articles of historic interest — 
notably the Crown of Charlemagne, the State Sword 
of Napoleon, and the Regent Diamond. This mag- 
nificent gem (if the real one) has quite a history. 
It is valued at more than half a million dollars, and 
once decorated the hilt of the state sword of 
Napoleon. Of special interest to us, as true daugh- 
ters of Eve, was a small bevel-edged mirror in a 
narrow gilt frame. It was the first one ever brought 
to Paris, and belonged to Marie de Medici. It came 
from Venice. 

We soon lost track of the names of the different 
galleries. In fact, we did not try to remember them. 
We only knew they were a continuous succession of 
beautiful works of art and treasured relics of the 
past. 

We stood enraptured before wonderful paintings 
by Rubens, Raphael, Titian, Da Vinci, Rembrandt, 
Van Dyck, Millet, Gainsboro and others. In such 
a gathering of the celestials we could only be still 
and silently rejoice that this great privilege had 
come to us. We were in the presence of men who 
had built the vision, and, through the medium of 

226 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

their genius, have left their messages as priceless 
"hostages to fortune" for all time. 

We viewed with particular and timely interest the 
spot, the very nail print, on the wall from which the 
Mona Lisa so mysteriously disappeared. 

Among the canvases especially strong in their ap- 
peal I will mention the "Wedding at Cana," the "Car- 
penter's Shop," "The Annunciation," a fine copy of 
"The Last Supper," and the "First Singers of the 
Marseillaise Hymn." 

The history of the last-mentioned work, or rather 
its inspiration, is worth knowing. "The Marseillaise," 
that inspiring song of France so dear to the heart of 
every Frenchman, was written at the time of the 
First Revolution, early in the year 1792. A com- 
pany of volunteers about to leave Strassburg were 
tendered a banquet by the mayor of the city, who 
asked an artillery officer, Rouget de Lisle, to compose 
a song in their honor. The result was that the song, 
both words and melody, was completed in a single 
night. The next day it was sung with the rapturous 
enthusiasm so characteristic of the French, and, in- 
stead of six hundred volunteers, one thousand marched 
out of Strassburg. Soon from the whole army of the 
North resounded the thrilling and fiery words: "Aux 
Armes, Aux Armes." 

The song, however, was still unknown in Paris. 
Barbaroux introduced it there when he summoned 
the youth of Marseillaise to the capital in July, 1792, 
several months after it was first sung in Strassburg. 

227 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

The Parisians received it with transports of rapture, 
and, not knowing its real authorship, they named it 
the "Hymn des Marseillaise." 

This stirring national hymn of France has gone 
into every land where Frenchmen have made their 
homes, and will live as long as the spirit of freedom 
lives in their souls. It proves, too, that music or 
poetry inspired by true patriotism, and thrown off in 
a white heat of passionate feeling, goes burning down 
the centuries and never loses its power to kindle in 
the human heart the flame of enthusiasm and courage. 
Why? Because it is the spark divine! 

The collections of statuary at the Louvre, both mod- 
ern and antique, are indescribable. But, passing by 
such famous sculptures as the "Venus de Milo," 
"Hercules," and many other classics, we paused with 
pride before the fine statue of La Fayette erected by 
the school children of the United States. 

From the Louvre we hurried on to the Church of 
the Madeline, a superb structure modeled after the 
Parthenon at Athens considered the most perfect 
specimen of Greek architecture in the world. 

The Madeline Church, with its wide sweep of 
stone steps and spacious porches, surrounded by 
stately Grecian columns, presents a perfect exam- 
ple of chaste and elegant simplicity. The interior 
is a veritable store-house of art. Great mural paint- 
ings, enormous in dimensions, reflect volumes of 
history and legend. Indeed, so closely are these 

228 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

interwoven that it is difficult to draw the line be- 
tween fact and tradition. Paris has two patron 
saints — St. Denis and St. Genevieve. One was 
born in the third century, the other in the fifth cen- 
tury. Both are well commemorated in this church. 

A series of paintings portray incidents in the 
life of St. Genevieve from early childhood until the 
time of her death, which occurred at an advanced 
age. One canvas shows her as a little child kneel- 
ing at a wayside shrine; another, while still a 
child, surrounded by men, women, and children in 
worshipful attitude ; while in still another she 
stands on a balcony, in all the glory of a moonlit 
night, keeping prayerful watch over the sleeping 
city. Probably the most impressive picture of the 
series is the one portraying her quieting and com- 
forting the excited populace. The news has reached 
them that Attila, dread King of the Huns, and his 
hordes are marching toward Paris. No wonder the 
people trembled at the very thought of this pitiless 
warrior whom tradition declares wielded a "super- 
natural sword." St. Genevieve assured them that 
no harm should befall them. She prayed all the 
night long for the safety of the city, and, through 
her intercessions, Attila with his army of barbari- 
ans passed quietly on by and laid not a hand on 
Paris or her people. 

The "Death of St. Genevieve" shows her bed sur- 
rounded by sorrowing men and women, some of 
whom are holding aloft little children that the gaze 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

of the dying saint may, perchance, rest for a mo- 
ment upon them. 

Scarcely less interesting are the great canvases 
in connection with Joan of Arc, the Maid of Or- 
leans. One large painting shows her receiving the 
vision of the angel with the sword, and harkening 
to the mysterious voices as she tends her flocks in 
quiet, green pastures. Another one shows her clad 
in armor, with all the panoply of war, mounted on 
a snow-white charger at the head of the French 
troops whom she inspired with new enthusiasm 
through her own faith in her heavenly mission. 
The whole story is spectacular and, as most of my 
readers doubtless know, ended in tragedy. Joan 
was burned at the stake May thirtieth, 1431, and 
was beatified in 1894 by Pope Leo XIII. 

Verily, consistency is, indeed, a jewel. 

Other great murals have to do with Clovis, King 
of the Franks, and his wife Clotilda. He was a 
heathen warrior. She was a Christian, and greatly 
desired the conversion of her husband. One day, 
in a desperate battle with Alemanni, near Cologne, 
Clovis was hard pressed and, as a last hope, he 
invoked the God of Clotilda, promising to become a 
Christian if given the victory. He was successful 
in gaining the battle, and not only kept his promise 
but became so zealous in his religion that he had 
thousands of his warriors baptized. 

Notwithstanding Clovis was saluted by Pope 
Anastasius as "Most Christian King," and that Clo- 

230 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

tilda was canonized by Pelagius I, one can only 
wonder, in the light of subsequent history, by what 
standard their piety was measured, and also wonder 
what is the real difference between Pagan and 
Christian barbarism. 

Still, in the evolution of the race, although the 
way has led through clamor and war and pestilence, 
the trend has ever been onward and upward. While 
history has marked the journey with cold, hard 
milestones of fact, art has beautified it with color 
and hope and inspiration. We know that, eventu- 
al^, all warfare will cease forever, and harmony 
will reign throughout the earth. In that glad day 
the human race, exalted, will pitch its tents, undis- 
mayed, in the tranquil Plains of Peace. 

Splendid murals show scenes in the life of St. 
Denis, notably those portraying him teaching and 
baptizing the people of Paris. 

We next visited the Church of St. Stephens. 
This old church contains the tomb and reliquary of 
St. Genevieve. We noted in this connection an in- 
cident which convinced us that superstition has not 
been entirely eliminated from human conscious- 
ness. At the reliquary of St. Genevieve we saw 
a man in clerical raiment, take from the holy re- 
ceptacle a pinch of something that seemed to be 
ashes, put it into a very small paste-board box, 
wind a rubber band about it, and give it to a wom- 
an who was evidently waiting to receive it. At 
hand was a plate on which were resting several 

231 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

pieces of the coin of the realm which may, or may 
not, have been given in exchange for the sacred 
dust. 

In this enlightened age one can only marvel at 
such obvious superstition. Nothing is more beau- 
tiful than a pure life expressed in loving thoughts 
and generous deeds. Such a life is, indeed, an 
example and an inspiration. More it cannot be. 
To deify, therefore, a mortal body and enshrine it 
as a fetich to be worshiped, is the sheerest idolatry. 
But the great pity, as it seems to me, is keeping 
souls in bondage to beliefs which surely have been 
outgrown by those to whom the masses are look- 
ing for spiritual guidance. 

We went from St. Stephens, with its wealth of 
art, to the Church of the Notre Dame. This cathe- 
dral, built in the twelfth century, and restored in 
the nineteenth century, is one of the finest edifices 
in Paris. Indeed, with its splendid facade, impos- 
ing towers and porches ; its exquisite woodcarvings 
and glorious rose-window centuries old, it is con- 
sidered one of the most notable structures in all 
Europe. 

The Notre Dame, like all the great churches and 
cathedrals of Europe, is a rich treasury of art, and 
is also the repository of many sacred relics. We 
noticed here a beautiful statue of Joan of Arc. We 
were told it was placed here in honor of the fact 
that the mother of the Maid of Orleans used to 
come here to pray to Our Lady. 

232 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

It was in the Cathedral of the Notre Dame that 
Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of France, and 
it was here, too, that his only son was christened. 

Flanking the cathedral is a pretty square adorned 
with a Gothic fountain, and not far away stands a 
colossal group representing Charlemagne, Roland, 
and Oliver. 

So filled was the morning with interesting sights 
and experiences that we paid no heed to the flight 
of time until our conductor reminded us that it was 
noonday. Soon we were spinning along the beauti- 
ful thoroughfares back to. the Victoria Palace hotel. 

After luncheon we went direct to the Hotel des 
Invalides, an immense building maintained by the 
state for disabled soldiers. It contains the musee 
d' artillerie and the musee d' armee. But the great 
lodestone it holds for American tourists is the tomb 
of Napoleon Bonaparte. One section of the muse- 
um is devoted to relics of Napoleon which silently 
tell the pathetic story of his exile and death. 
Among the great number of articles in this collec- 
tion we noted Napoleon's death-mask; the model 
of the original casket in which he was buried at 
St. Helena; the simple bier upon which his body 
was borne to its first resting place, and the gor- 
geous one which bore him to Paris in 1840, also the 
pall which covered his casket on board ship, show- 
ing decorations of the Imperial Eagle and the Bee. 

A little further on we came to the gates which 
bar, or admit, as the case may be, the entrance to 

233 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

the tomb of Napoleon. These gates, which seldom 
swing open, were wrought, we were told, from 
cannon used in his battles. Here stood sentinel a 
guard in uniform wearing the Star of the Legion of 
Honor. 

Ascending a short flight of steps we entered a 
large chapel flooded with sunlight of gold which 
streamed in through a wonderful yellow window 
directly above an altar supported by pillars of black 
marble. 

A moment later we were looking down into the 
circular crypt, upon the sarcophagus, hewn from a 
solid block of Finland porphyry, containing its 
handful of dust — all that remains of the once 
mighty Napoleon. 

Below the railing which surrounds the crypt, 
hang the flags of many nations, mute reminders of 
a time when a continent trembled before the will 
of this seemingly invincible warrior. 

It is impossible to express the feelings, the emo- 
tions, that came surging over me. I remembered 
that just one hundred years ago this mighty mili- 
tary genius was writing the closing chapters of his 
spectacular career. We had followed his bloody 
trail all over Europe. And now as we stood so 
near his mortal remains, the curtains of the past 
slipped silently apart, revealing a scene of wreck 
and ruin and carnage from plains of sunny Italy to 
Russia's fields of snow. 

234 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

In this shadowy panorama of years long dead, 
there glided, phantom-like, a little white stone that 
stands far out on western frontiers. As it passed 
before my mental vision, bearing its appalling leg- 
ends, I read : "Napoleon Bonaparte passed this way 
with four hundred and fifty thousand men." Then, 
as if by magic, was turned its reverse side and again 
I read: "Napoleon Bonaparte passed this way with 
only eighty thousand men." 

Think of it, oh, ye mothers of the world ! It was 
mothers who made this stupendous sacrifice. It 
was mothers who paid the precious tribute of three 
hundred and seventy thousand sons for the selfish 
exaltation of one man ! 

The picture was too harrowing. I turned away 
from it. But I said to myself, this is the warrior, 
the soldier, the genius, the conqueror. Let us look 
at the man. Perchance his humanity will redeem 
his barbarity. But, alas, we see a woman bruised 
and crushed and broken. We catch the smothered 
sobs of a heart that is bleeding. We see the hu- 
miliation of a queen uncrowned, and hear the bitter 
moans of a wife repudiated ! 

Then I remembered that his marriage with Jose- 
phine was childless, and, coming across the cen- 
tury, I could hear the extenuating plea of Napoleon 
for an heir to perpetuate his name and to inherit 
his glory. The conqueror was at the zenith of his 
power. But from the fateful day that he divorced 
Josephine and allied himself with the imperial 

235 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

House of Austria, through marriage with Princess 
Marie Louise, the avenging goddess, Nemesis, 
seemed to stand henceforth and forever at his side. 

My readers, no doubt, are familiar with the un- 
happy sequel — the tempting fruit turning to dead- 
sea apples upon the lips. We had recently stood 
beside the tomb of "the young eaglet" — the longed- 
for son of Napoleon — in the royal burial vaults in 
Vienna. We remembered that his brief, delicate 
span of life faded away like a flower, and though 
he was born amid great rejoicing in the city of 
Paris, he died at the palace of Schonbrunn in the 
city of Vienna, unhonored and unrecognized by 
the people of France. 

I have neither the desire nor the ability to judge 
the First Napoleon. In all probability another cen- 
tury must pass before an unbiased and proper 
resume of his life and genius can be written and 
his place permanently fixed in the world's history. 
Why? Because he is one of the enigmas of the 
ages. 

No one, as yet, who has studied his marvelous 
deeds and matchless achievements has been able to 
analyze and classify him, or to decide whether he 
was a god or a barbarian : a man or a demon. 

Again our eyes rested upon the tomb of the Man 
of Destiny. We pity him. God only can judge 
him. 

After leaving the Hotel des Invalides we went for 
a spin about the beautiful city. 

236 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Paris, it is said, owes much of its civic charm to 
the Third Napoleon, who, in connection with the 
prefect of the Seine, did much toward carrying 
out its tasteful and harmonious system of improve- 
ment. The Siene, too, lends itself admirably to the 
general effectiveness of the scheme. This river, 
flowing gently and smoothly through the heart of 
the city, is spanned by twenty-eight bridges, many 
of them handsome structures adorned with naval 
and military trophies commemorating events and 
victories connected with the Second Empire. 

Our round of sight-seeing ended with a visit to 
the Exposition Grounds, where we partook of light 
refreshments and where some of our party enjoyed 
a sweeping view from the top of the Eiffel Tower, 
the highest monument in the world. 



*s* 



237 



BOOK NINETEEN 

Iferaattlra, its SfauniamB anfc 



m 



HE program for the second day of our stay 
in Paris was a trip to Versailles, once the 
seat of the French Court. 

Soon after breakfast a large vehicle known as a 
brake, drawn by five splendid dapple-grey horses 
with strings of tuneful bells hung about their har- 
ness, stood at the door of the hotel. A few mo- 
ments later we were driving along the premier 
thoroughfare of Paris, the famous Champs Elysees. 
It is, indeed, a beautiful street, but scarcely more 
so than may be found in my own home city, St. 
Louis. It is simply older and different. 

Among the handsome residences bordering this 
fine boulevard is that of one of our titled American 
women, the former Annie Gould. It is patterned 
after the Grand Trianon. 

The drive from Paris to Versailles was a most 
enjoyable one, full of interest all the way. From 
the broad, lofty highway at the outskirts of Paris, 
we looked back upon one of the most beautiful 
cities of the world, as we left its environs and 
slipped into the cool, green woodland through 
which the roadway runs. Our special conductor 

238 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

was familiar with every old landmark along the 
route, and related many interesting bits of history 
and entertaining incidents connected with them. 

As the distance between Paris and Versailles is 
about fifteen miles, it was nearly midday when we 
reached the latter place. 

We drove down a long, shady avenue arched over 
with interlacing branches of noble old trees and 
stopped at the entrance gates of the Little Trianon. 

This tiny palace, set in the midst of a spacious 
lawn, was built by the order of Louis XV for 
Madame Du Barry, successor in the King's favor, 
to Madame Pompadour. Louis XVI presented it 
to his wife, Marie Antoinette, and it is said to have 
been the favorite residence of this unfortunate 
queen. 

Through an opening in a tall hedgerow we passed 
from the lawn of the Little Trianon into a vast 
wooded park, whose deep solitude and great trees, 
ages old, suggest the forest primeval. Here Marie 
Antoinette built a typical Swiss village, where the 
ladies of her court would come to visit her dressed 
as peasant women. 

It is certainly an idyllic spot, with its picturesque 
chalet, a limpid lake reflecting the azure skies 
above, a snowy Temple of Love rising from out a 
circling ring of water, all overshadowed by softly- 
whispering trees. Here, too, is the dairy, grey and 
ivy-grown, with its marble slabs, where her majesty 

239 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

made and moulded her golden butter as deftly as the 
humblest country woman of her kingdom. 

It is said of Marie Antoinette that the happiest 
days of her eventful young life were spent in this 
secluded nook, with her little children, away from 
the dissipations and intrigues of a reckless and 
profligate court. 

A clear, winding stream, spanned by a rustic 
bridge, goes purling and singing between grassy 
margins until it loses itself in the tranquil lake, 
whose waters are disturbed only by the stately 
swans gliding gracefully over its mirror-like sur- 
face. 

As we approached this rustic bridge, our guide, 
through some mystic feat of legerdemain, produced 
a large loaf of bread which he broke into pieces and 
distributed amongst us, saying, "Wait a minute." 
Then, in answer to a peculiar call, came myriads 
of hungry carp, fairly tumbling over one another in 
their eagerness to capture the bits of bread we cast 
upon the water. As visitors to St. Mark's feed the 
pigeons, so visitors to this romantic park feed the 
fishes. Neither the pigeons nor the carp have any 
fear of humankind. 

Passing out through a gateway in a stone wall 
overgrown with trailing ivy, we were, a few mo- 
ments later, at the Grand Trianon, a palace of pink 
marble environed by gardens that are dreams of 
beauty. The Grand Trianon was built by Mansard 

240 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

under order of Louis XIV for his favorite, Madame 
de Maintenon. 

In visiting European capitals, one so frequently 
crosses the colorful byways of the Pompadours of 
the past, that one naturally wonders if the prim- 
rose path of statesmanship is now a closed trail to 
feminine feet. One would gladly believe that it is. 
But a certain distinguished journalist, writing re- 
cently along this line, declares that the role of 
Egeria is ever operative and always waiting to be 
filled. He further indicates that a little more dis- 
cretion in arranging the setting has not altered 
the essentials of the case. In his story he turns 
his searchlight upon kingdoms, empires and some 
of the republics of the world and points out how 
and where modern Pompadours are today acting as 
counsellors to kings and rulers, and are, as of old, 
the real power behind the throne. He believes the 
aphorism remains as true as ever in politics as in 
society cherzes la Femme. 

Well, it certainly gives to history the rosy glow 
of romance to know that the smile of a pretty wom- 
an has often outweighed the interests of teeming 
millions, and that the way to "shape the whisper 
of a throne" has not been found in the musty 
volumes of learned men ; neither by the power of 
brilliant statesmanship, the illumination of wisdom, 
the grasp of genius nor the glory of fame, but by 
the playing dimples of velvety cheeks and the lan- 
guorous glances of liquid eyes. 

241 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

One can scarcely imagine a picture more beau- 
tiful than that presented by the Grand Trianon. The 
splendid grounds and gardens display the highest 
conception of the landscape artist. My readers who 
visited the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. 
Louis will remember that the French Government 
Building was a reproduction of the Grand Trianon. 
Those who viewed it from the highest point of the 
Ferris Wheel, as the writer did, have not, I am sure, 
forgotten the charm of the picture. 

Now, if they can fancy something many times 
more beautiful than the miniature representation 
they saw, they will have some idea of the real Tri- 
anon set in wonderful rose gardens and environed 
by a well-kept park centuries old. 

The Trianon is now a museum and repository 
of art, but every room tells a story and the very 
atmosphere seems vibrant with the gay and check- 
ered life once lived within its now echoless walls. 

We wandered from room to room — the council 
room, with its big, round table, the audience room 
and waiting room, all adorned with handsome tapes- 
tries, rare paintings and fine sculptures, while fancy 
peopled them with a royal train and pictured them 
with festive scenes and gay revelings of the long 
ago. 

As I noted the great size of the state dining- 
room with its open fireplace and old-time andirons, 
I asked our guide if the only heat available came 
from that fireplace. "Yes," he answered, "and 

242 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 



sometimes it was so cold that the wine froze in 
the goblets while guests were drinking it." I sus- 
pect, however, he intended us to take that state- 
ment with at least a "pinch of salt." 

Among the interesting relics housed here we 
noted the splendid cameo, said to be the largest in 
the world, presented to Napoleon upon his corona- 
tion, by Pope Pius VII ; a fine tapestry presented 
to Empress Eugenia by the Queen of Italy ; the 
Zodiac table, which stands in the bed chamber of 
Napoleon, said to be the only genuine one, though 
there are hundreds of imitations in the United 
States alone ; the bed of Josephine in which Queen 
Victoria refused to sleep; the bed of Napoleon I, 
soft and downy-looking, mounted on a bedstead of 
richly-inlaid mahogany. 

As we strolled along the peristyle overlooking 
the rose gardens, we paused at the spot where Na- 
poleon and Josephine ate Christmas dinner together 
after their divorcement. It seems, indeed, that 
Josephine was the one woman essential to the hap- 
piness of the great general, Marie Louise being es- 
sential only to his ambition ! 

We went from the Trianon to a nearby museum 
containing a large collection of ro}^al coaches and 
trappings, notably those of Charles X and Napo- 
leon I. The last-mentioned coach, which is ex- 
tremely gorgeous, is said to have cost five million 
francs — one million dollars — and was the bridal 
coach of Napoleon and Marie Louise. 

243 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

From here we entered our conveyance, drove to 
a good hotel and were served an excellent dinner. 

We spent the afternoon in the royal chateau and 
the beautiful grounds in which the palace is set. 
This royal residence of the kings of France dates 
from the time of Louis XIII, but owes its greatest 
splendor to Louis XIV, who expended fifteen mil- 
lion dollars upon its restoration and embellishment. 
In fact, to do him justice, Louis XIV, despite his 
famous saying, "I am the State," and however weak 
he may have been in the direction of "the king can 
do no wrong," was one of the most progressive 
monarchs of his time. His reign is regarded as the 
Augustan period of French literature and art. 

Napoleon once said of him : "If Louis XIV had 
not been born a king, he would have been a great 
man — but he did not know mankind; he could not 
know the common people because he never knew 
misfortune." But he knew well the power of for- 
tune and beauty, and, through such noted land- 
scape artists and architects as Le Norte and Man- 
sard, he visualized an ideal of indescribable beauty 
that is still giving delight to all who behold it — the 
wonderful royal park at Versailles. Indeed, with 
its enchanting groves and grottoes, its magnificent 
fountains and statuary, its delicious orangery, its 
limpid lakes and lagoons, its fragrant shrubs and 
radiant blossoms, its beauty is unsurpassed the 
world over. 

244 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

We entered the chateau from the court of honor, 
in whose center stands a fine equestrian statue of 
Louis XIV. The court on either side is adorned 
with statues of great and distinguished men of 
France. From this court we viewed the balcony 
upon which Marie Antoinette appeared, with her 
small children clinging about her, when she was de- 
manded by the rabble of Paris. "No, no, not the 
children ; we want you !" was their ominous cry. 
From the first moment of the Revolution she was 
an object of their fiercest hatred. She was an Aus- 
trian, born to the purple. Her mother, Maria 
Theresa, that wonderful ruler of Austria, had be- 
trothed her to the Dauphin at the age of fourteen 
years. She was a wife at fifteen and a queen at 
nineteen. Young, lighthearted, gay, born, reared 
and married in the radiance of a throne, how could 
she understand the needs of the struggling popu- 
lace. 

But the people were starving! To the plea that 
they had no bread, she had answered, "Then let 
them eat cake!" 

Little wonder that the hungry hordes were mad- 
dened beyond reason. The last bitter drop had 
been added to their cup of misery. 

None of us can realize the terror and horror of 
it all ! 

Queen Marie Antoinette was a model mother, 
and the devotion of her oldest son, the little Louis, 
known in history as the Lost Dauphin, was beautiful 

245 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

in the extreme. The little fellow was thoughtful 
beyond his years. There was blended in his young 
life the sweetness of a cherub with the dignity of a 
king. His mother was his idol and his ideal. Even 
today one cannot read with dry eyes the pitiless 
fate of the little Dauphin. In fact, the tragic end- 
ing of this royal family is one of the pathetic pages 
in the history of France. 

The palace is now a museum and storehouse of 
art, founded by Louis Philippe and dedicated to 
"all the glories of France." 

Probably no other portion of the wonderful col- 
lections gathered here is more typical of the "glor- 
ies of France" than the immense Gallery of Bat- 
tles. Here on a number of vast canvases are pic- 
tured the achievements and victories of the Na- 
poleon wars. As I viewed these great battle- 
scenes, most of which show the famous warrior, 
mounted on his white charger, well in the fore- 
ground, I made what I soon felt was a most un- 
diplomatic speech. "I do not see the 'Battle of 
Waterloo,' " I said innocently enough. "We saw a 
marvelous picture of that battle in Brussels." "Why 
should we have that picture here?" retorted our 
guide in disgust. "There is nothing in a defeated 
warrior to inspire the youth of France !" 

Then it dawned upon me that I had trodden on 
dangerous ground ; and it also dawned upon me 
that the "Battle of Waterloo" might be dedicated 

246 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

to the "glories of Belgium," upon whose soil th^ 
lost battle was fought. 

We passed on to the Gallery of Mirrors, the 
erstwhile state ballroom of the French court. The 
walls of this imposing salon are faced with mir- 
rors, and the floor of marquetry is so mirror-like 
that one almost hesitates to cross it. One can 
readily fancy the brilliancy of a fashionable court 
ball under the gleaming chandeliers and amid the 
flashing mirrors of this great room. One can fancy, 
too, the gallantry of Frenchmen, to the manner 
born, and the matchless grace of the world's most 
vivacious women; also the poetry of motion as 
twinkling feet kept rhythmic step to strains of 
witching music, and 

"Eyes looked love to eyes that spoke again." 
In such a company of "fair women and brave 
men" one might exclaim in the very intoxication 
of delight: 

"On with the dance, let joy be unconfined!" 
even though artillery rumbled in the distance, and 
threatening rabbles clamored at the gates. 

We divided our time between the chateau and 
the grounds, for while the palace is devoted largely 
to the warlike glories of France, the grounds are 
devoted to the peaceful glories of Nature. Wher- 
ever we turned a vision of beauty greeted us. We 
will always remember with delight the fountains 
and gardens of Versailles. 

247 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

The remainder of our stay in Paris was spent 
quite informally. We drove about over the beau- 
tiful city, went shopping - in the fashionable maga- 
zins, as Parisians call their department stores ; at- 
tended an evening of grand opera in the famous 
opera house, and enjoyed ourselves generally. Rep- 
resentatives of the Paris press called at our hotel 
and interviewed us relative to our mission abroad, 
and we received courteous consideration every- 
where. 

Some of our party make a trip to Sevres to visit 
the national potteries there. It was from Sevres 
that M. Taxile Doat came to take charge of the 
pottery and porcelain works of the Woman's Re- 
public, University City, Missouri. He is one of 
the recognized authorities of the world in ceramics. 

We were somewhat reluctant to leave Paris. It 
is such a charming city in so many ways. But our 
time was up, and Saturday morning, July twelfth, 
we entered taxis and were whisked away to the 
railway station en route to London by way of Bou- 
logne and Folkstone. 



248 




MISS MINNIE E. NEAL 

Ambassador from Florida 




REV. EDITH HILL-BOOKER 

Ambassador from Oregon 



BOOK TWENTY 

fumbntt, % Ulnrlif a JSrtrnpoltH 

Qg§^3 ROSSING the English Channel is an ex- 
(iu|gflf perience not always pleasant. This stretch 
2«^3 of narrow sea is usually rough and "chop- 
py," and sometimes demands extortionate tribute 
from those who subject themselves to its domin- 
ion. 

When we reached Boulogne and went aboard 
the steamer that was to carry us across, it was 
noonday and dinner was ready in the dining-salon. 

Our conductor laughingly congratulated us upon 
having the opportunity to dine while the vessel was 
still in port, intimating that we would probably not 
want to eat after we left shore. 

But again good fortune favored us. The channel 
was comparatively placid. Not one of us was sea- 
sick, though the cabin below deck was filled with 
women passengers who had taken temporary berths 
there preparatory for whatever might happen. 

The sail was delightful. We sat out on the deck 
and enjoyed every minute of it. 

Our genial conductor, Mr. Solbach, told us, as we 
were leaving Paris, that his wife and baby would 
be in London to meet him. He had met us the 
morning we landed in Cuxhaven, and had been so 
thoughtful of our comfort throughout the tour, now 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

about to close, that we wished to show our appreci- 
ation in some fitting way. The "baby" afforded us 
the opportunity. After a brief conference our ideas 
crystalized into a little purse of gold coin for the 
young scion of the house of Solbach. 

Before we reached shore, our conductor joined 
us, and we were ready to surprise him. Dr. Clara 
C. Austin, Ambassador from Massachusetts, who 
has long been on intimate terms with his majesty, 
the stork, was delegated to make the presentation 
speech. This she did in a pleasing and happy man- 
ner, and the response proved that we, by our offer- 
ing to his first-born, had touched a tender chord in 
the proud father's heart. 

Right here I desire to pay a tribute to Dr. Aus- 
tin. She was like a ray of sunshine all the time. 
While we were on the Atlantic she was up bright 
and early every morning, making several rounds 
of the deck before breakfast, and by the time the 
rest of us appeared, she was ready to give us an in- 
spiring verse for the day. Indeed, the youthful 
activity of Dr. Austin and Dr. Lockwood — the vet- 
erans of our party — was a well-merited rebuke to 
us younger women. 

Miss Edith Davis, Ambassador from Michigan, 
also deserves a "bouquet" for her uniform unselfish- 
ness. If any one was feeling not quite up to the 
standard, the helpful sympathy of Miss Davis was 
always in evidence. Sixty days of intimate social 
contact is a trying test of personality. Therefore it 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

gives me pleasure to record that, as a whole, the 
Ambassadors of the Woman's Republic were a 
democratic, considerate, agreeable body of women. 
When we landed at Folkstone, there stood the 
train with our special car reserved as usual. A few 
minutes later we were speeding along beside the 
velvety downs and prim hedgerows of "Merrie 
England" to Charing Cross and on to the city of 
London. 

It was late in the afternoon when we reached the 
Grafton Hotel, at which fine hostelry we were 
booked for our five days' stay in the metropolis of 
the world. 

I was agreeably surprised in the city of London. 
I had always associated it with blinding fogs, a 
murky atmosphere, and grimy-looking urchins. In 
fact, I believe I had viewed it largely through the 
grey-tinted spectacles of Charles Dickens. 

At any rate, I found myself wondering if the 
famous English author has not, in some measure, 
harmed the city by dismal pictures his facile pen 
has drawn of it. Then I remembered it was mid- 
summer, which very likely accounted for the ab- 
sence of fog, and that we were not located in nor 
seeing the Dickens side of London. Better still, let 
us hope that life, even in the slums, has responded 
to the upward trend of things since he wrote his pa- 
thetic stories of the seamy side of the world's me- 
tropolis. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

However this may be, there is a solidity, a dig- 
nity, an orderliness about the place that was strong 
in its appeal to me. 

It was late Saturday when we reached London, 
and we were not scheduled for any sight-seeing un- 
til Monday. Sunday morning we attended divine 
service at St. Paul's Cathedral, a privilege we great- 
ly appreciated. Triumphant strains of music, chim- 
ing out from sweet-throated bells, greeted us as we 
approached and stepped from our autobus. Repre- 
sentatives of royalty and nobility were arriving in 
their crested carriages with gorgeous liveries, while 
throngs of men and women were passing with rev- 
erent tread through the wide portals of the famous 
old house of worship. 

The scene was most impressive — so calm, so 
stately, so peaceful. One could but think that sure- 
ly the Sabbath spirit of rest was shedding its pre- 
cious balm over all the great, tired heart of London ! 

At St. Paul's we listened to the usual Church of 
England service intoned, with chanting of anthems 
and psalms. We were favorably seated with re- 
gard to seeing and hearing. Directly in front of 
the pulpit and choir, we could study the beautiful 
carvings, mosaics and art works without being ob- 
livious to the impressive and somewhat spectacu- 
lar service. 

There is one thing I noticed in all the great 
cathedrals of Europe, and at which I have won- 
dered. It is the way they are seated. The pews, 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

instead of being soft and luxurious, as one would 
naturally expect them to be, are hard, rigid and un- 
comfortable and do not seem to fit into the general 
schemes of elegance and richness which otherwise 
characterize these wonderful structures. 

St. Paul's, which at the time of our visit was 
undergoing important restorations, is the largest 
and most magnificent Protestant church in the 
world. In impressiveness it is considered a close 
rival of St. Peter's at Rome. 

London is the seat of a bishopric, and St. Paul's 
the cathedral of the diocese. The church dates from 
early in the seventh century, the present site having 
been occupied at that time by a Christian church 
dedicated to Saint Paul. It was founded by Ethel- 
bert, King of Kent, in 610, and was destroyed by 
fire in 1087. Another structure far more pretentious 
took its place. Old St. Paul's, as the second edifice 
is now called, was in the form of a Latin cross, and 
had seventy-six chapels, a bell tower with four bells, 
a chapter-house, and supported two hundred priests. 
On special saints' days the choristers ascended the 
spire to a great height and chanted anthems. On 
the anniversary of the conversion of St. Paul, Janu- 
ary twenty-fifth, a fat bullock was offered at the 
high altar, upon which was heaped great stores of 
gold and silver plates and illuminated missals. The 
walls were sumptuously adorned with pictures, and 
the church contained many fine monuments. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Old St. Paul's was consumed in the disastrous 
fire that swept London in 1666. 

In rebuilding the city, church building very natur- 
ally received great impulse in the general recon- 
struction period. As many as fifty new churches 
for London were designed by Sir Christopher Wren, 
among them several plans for a new cathedral. The 
king, it is said, was so well pleased with one set 
of these plans that he ordered a large model made 
from them — a model still in existence, though not 
followed closely in the construction of the building. 
St. Paul's is Gothic Renaissance in architecture. 
With its massive, yet graceful, dome flanked by im- 
posing towers, it suggests, in its dignity and repose, 
the fixed ritualism of the Church of England. 

Sunday evening several of our party, chaperoned 
by Mrs. M. E. Jenkins, Ambassador from California, 
attended services in Westminster Abbey. The 
Right Reverend W. Boyd Carpenter delivered the 
sermon. 

The music on this occasion included both choir 
and congregational singing. The service was 
doubly impressive through the unusual setting of 
historic surrounding. The old abbey, with its lofty 
vaultings, its long-stretching aisles, its great win- 
dows of art glass, its harmony of proportions, all 
pervaded by an atmosphere of solemnity, dignity 
and grandeur, produced in us a feeling of awesome 
admiration. 



254 



Vv r OMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

The whole day was one of spiritual uplift. Each 
one of us, I am sure, will always appreciate having 
enjoyed the privilege of worshiping with the good 
people of London in their noble old sanctuaries — 
St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. 

Monday and Tuesday were devoted to a round 
of sight-seeing. Here, as in other cities, we had a 
special local guide who knew just where to take us 
with the least possible loss of time. 

We went first to the British Museum. Had we 
seen nothing else in London that would have suf- 
ficed. What a magnificent building it is ! Stupen- 
dous in size, with its wonderful Pantheonic dome, its 
broad double-columned porticos and classic colon- 
nades, the structure is truly a masterpiece of Gre- 
cian-Ionic architecture. 

The matchless collections housed here center 
about the bequest of Sir Hans Sloane, who, in the 
middle of the seventeenth century, bequeathed, 
under conditions accepted by the government, a 
fine collection of art works and natural history ob- 
jects, together with a considerable library of valu- 
able books and manuscripts. This collection, rep- 
resenting the work of a lifetime, formed the nucleus 
around which has developed the present world- 
famous institution — the British museum. 

As time went on many other choice collections 
were donated, and otherwise acquired, notably the 
splendid library presented by King George IV, 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

which his father, during his long reign, had assem- 
bled at a cost of approximately a million dollars. 
Today the museum is a vast encyclopedia of the 
world's history, told in remains, ruins, books, manu- 
scripts, drawings, prints, sculptures, potteries, 
bronzes, old coins, and antiquities of all kinds and 
of all nations — Egyptian, Babylonian, Assyrian, 
Greek and Roman. 

Through these mute reminders of a silent past, 
one can go back, so to speak, to thousands of years 
before the Christian era, and gain through these 
classified exhibits a fairly good idea of the progress, 
ideals, religion and civilization of those ancient peo- 
ples. Furthermore, the antiquarian may, through 
the prehistoric remains assembled here, grope his 
way down the dim corridors of time to the most re- 
mote period of human habitation upon the earth. 

Complete facilities for scientific research are pro- 
vided by this great institution, and all available 
data is at the command of students or experts en- 
gaged in this line of work. 

Each department has a keeper and a staff of as- 
sistants. Through the perfect equipment of the 
museum and the efficient service of the helpers, 
work or study may be done in all the quietude and 
privacy of a home library. 

Personally, nothing interested me quite so much 
as the Natural History Department of the museum, 
now housed in its fine new building at South Ken- 
sington. One can scarcely imagine such wonderful- 

256 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

ly arranged collections of animals, birds, reptiles, 
fishes, plants and flowers, running the whole scale 
of Nature's creations. But most interesting and 
fascinating of all, to me, was the magnificent col- 
lection of birds of glorious plumage from the East- 
ern Archipelago. These birds were gathered by 
Wallace and acquired by purchase for the museum. 
Of what incalculable value is such a display to the 
school children of London, to say nothing of the 
children of larger growth ! 

We spent the afternoon in the art galleries 
amongst the immortals — the masters of chisel and 
brush — most of whom have long since passed on to 
another plane of existence. 

As we studied their inspiring messages, written 
on canvas and visualized in marble and bronze, we 
grasped somewhat of their religion of beauty, and 
realized that they have left a rich heritage, a price- 
less impersonal estate, to all who have eyes to see, 
hearts to feel, and souls to understand! 

At the time we were in London, the city was in 
the throes of the militant suffragists. Knowing 
this we had determined before reaching there to 
take off our badges and colors of the Woman's Re- 
public, feeling that in the unsettled state of affairs 
it was not good policy to attract to ourselves any 
particular attention. We were simply ordinary 
American tourists. 

On our way to the art galleries, however, as we 
drove along by Trafalgar Square, we saw a proces- 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

sion of militants marching on looking as "terrible as 
an army with banners." The sight was too much for 
one veteran of our party. In the twinkling of an 
eye she was waving not only her handkerchief but a 
good-sized American flag, and "hoo-raying" like the 
true pioneer in the cause that she really was — with 
the result that detectives trailed us all the after- 
noon. 

The art galleries we visited were the National 
Gallery, Tate's Gallery, and the Wallace Collection. 
I shall make no effort to describe them more than 
to say that we viewed, in the best possible setting, 
exquisite masterpieces of the great artists of all 
school's — Dutch, Flemish, French, British, Italian — 
portraying with matchless skill every conceivable 
phase of life — nature, ideality, sentiment, history, 
religion, mythology, music, and poetry. Indeed, one 
realizes that no emotion of the heart is too elusive ; 
no fantasy of the imagination too ethereal; no 
dream of the soul too intangible, for the sweeping 
vision and infinite grasp of these mighty men of 
genius. 

Tuesday morning we started out early, going 
first to the Guildhall, which contains the assembly 
rooms of the Common Council. Right at hand 
stands the Mansion House of the Lord Mayor. 
Both buildings are exceedingly interesting. The 
Common Council comprises a membership of more 
than two hundred men, which, together with the 
Lord Mayor and an Alderman from each of the 

258 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

twenty-five city wards, forms a sort of parliament, 
as it were, for the management of municipal af- 
fairs. 

From here we drove to St. Paul's, to "do" the old 
church officially. There is about the great cathedral 
many things of interest, notably the whispering gal- 
lery, the golden gallery, the deep-toned grand organ, 
and the wonderful clock whose midnight chimes 
float out over the sleeping city and wing their way 
over the distance to the dreaming gardens of Wind- 
sor Castle. The cathedral is not overdone in the 
way of decoration. The "Conversion of Saint Paul" 
is sculptured in bold relief in the pediment of the 
double columned portico, and the inner dome is 
adorned with eight fine paintings, by Sir James 
Thornhill, representing notable events in the life of 
Saint Paul. 

A charming view of London and the Thames, 
with its bridges and water craft, is afforded from 
the top of the dome. But that means a climb of 
more than six hundred steps and, as time was pre- 
cious, we did not see the vision. Instead, we went 
down into the crypts where rest in final repose 
many illustrious sons of England. 

There are some fifty monuments in St. Paul's, 
most of them voted by parliament in honor of naval 
and military officers, authors, artists, and philan- 
thropists. This church has been made a pantheon 
for British heroes. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

In one of the crypts in a sarcophagus of black 
marble are the remains of the great naval hero, Nel- 
son, and a large tomb of porphyry contains those of 
the military genius Wellington. 

England has honored her artists and men of let- 
ters as well as her heroes. Among them are Dr. 
Johnson, Howard, Hallam, Sir Joshua Reynolds, 
Barry, Opie, Turner, Landseer, VanDyck, Benjamin, 
West, Fuseli, and many others. Here, too, rests the 
body of Sir Christopher Wren. This seems a fitting 
honor. His long life of ninety years was given 
largely to the beautifying of London. The city did 
well in giving his mortal remains a place in the won- 
derful cathedral he designed and erected, and which 
stands today a stately and beautiful testimony of 
the architect's genius. 

St. Paul's has, in times past, witnessed many im- 
posing state processions. Various sovereigns, in- 
cluding Queen Anne, George III, and Queen Caro- 
line, offered up special thanksgiving in this church. 
The last ceremonial of this nature was when Queen 
Victoria gave thanks for the recovery of the Prince 
of Wales. 

We cast a last, lingering look upon the time-soft- 
ened old edifice as we entered our conveyances and 
drove away, bound for the Tower of London. 

When we arrived at the Tower, and passed 
through the entrance gates, we were divested of our 
handbags and umbrellas, as no one is permitted to 
carry any such accessories into the building. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

The Tower of London ! What a grim old land- 
mark it is ! Who has not read something of its 
eventful history? As we strolled along its cobbled 
avenues, peered down into its now empty moat, and 
looked up at its dungeon-like towers we could al- 
most fancy we were living in feudal days when the 
old stronghold was a powerful fortress of defense. 
Even today it has a decided military air about it, 
for it is the storehouse of the war department and 
there are quite enough soldiers in its barracks to 
give one the impression of "armed peace." The 
castellated walls, with their turrets and towers, en- 
close an area of about twelve acres. Within this 
outer wall is another wall similar in construction, 
which surrounds the various barracks and armories. 
The dominant feature of all, however, is the lofty 
keep or donjon built in the time of William the 
Conqueror and known as the White Tower. This 
tower was the court of the Plantagenet Kings, and, 
with its great walls of solid masonry, is the interest- 
center of the entire structure. 

The whole tower is intensely interesting. In tra- 
versing it we came upon many pathetic reminders of 
its tragic history. How inconceivably horrible it 
must have been to be incarcerated in these gloomy 
old dungeons ! No wonder that the walls are today 
sorrowful memorials to helpless victims of a cruel 
fate! 

In a rail-enclosed circle, in one of the courts, a 
plate of brass marks the spot where once stood the 

261 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

guillotine and where many a proud head bowed to 
the headsman's axe — even that of the young and 
beautiful Lady Jane Grey. 

The exhibits of ancient and medieval armor in 
the Horse Armory are wonderful. What a striking 
spectacle must have been an army of cavalry in 
those days when warriors and their war chargers 
were clad in coats of mail and armors of steel ! Yet, 
with all of its brave showing and glittering accoutre- 
ments, and however heartless and vicious its pur- 
pose, ancient warfare was child's play compared 
with deadly modern warfare. Then it was warfare, 
now it is murder. Then men were benighted, now 
they are enlightened. War, today, is unthinkable, 
unpardonable. It is cold-blooded murder — slaughter 
of the innocents — breaker of women's hearts. Oh, 
that it were wiped from the face of the earth now, 
as it must be eventually ! 

After a brisk tour of the Jewel House, and a hasty 
survey of crown jewels, regalias, scepters, crowns 
and other insignia of royalty, we passed out into 
the open. 

I was glad the sun was shining. 

The Tower of London is, historically speaking, 
the most interesting building in all England. It 
dates from the eleventh century. Tradition claims 
that the site was occupied at a still earlier period 
by a Roman fortress built by Julius Caesar. The 
old stronghold has withstood many a siege of feudal 

262 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

days, but it is not probable that it could long with- 
stand the fierce bombardment of modern arms. The 
Tower overlooks the Thames, which is spanned at 
this point by a fine bridge. 

It was with a sense of relief that we passed out 
through the iron gates, away from the grim old 
structure which is permeated through and through 
with the history and the mystery of well-nigh a 
thousand years. 

It was high noon and we drove direct to our hotel. 
After a good luncheon and an hour's rest we fared 
forth again. 

Most of the afternoon was spent in the open, 
driving along the fine thoroughfares and enjoying 
the parks and breathing places of the great city. 

As we drove along the Strand, overlooking the 
Thames with its beautiful embankment, we were 
attracted by the stately Cleopatra's Needle stand- 
ing there, which was transplanted from Egypt into 
England thirty-five years ago. These massive 
shafts of stone, bearing in hieroglyph their legends 
of centuries agone, are vital links connecting the 
present with the past. It was our privilege, during 
our tour, to behold four of these ancient obelisks — 
one in New York City, one in London, one in Paris, 
and one in the royal gardens of Schonbrunn at 
Vienna. 

Such history as we have of them is quite interest- 
ing, especially the one in New York, which ante- 
dates the Christian era by fifteen hundred years. It 

263 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 



is believed that the eyes of Moses, the great Hebrew 
law-giver, must have rested upon it while he was 
at the court of Pharaoh. The monolith, as many of 
my readers probably know, was presented to the 
United States by the Khedive of Egypt. It was, 
however, through the generosity of William K. 
Vanderbilt that it was, in 1881, brought to our coun- 
try and placed, with proper ceremony, in its present 
commanding position in Central Park. 

The obelisk gracing the Thames embankment is 
the companion of the one in New York. It found its 
way to London after a somewhat eventful voyage. 
Both of these great monoliths once stood at Heli- 
opolis — "The City of the Sun" — on the delta of the 
Nile. This ancient city was the center of Egyptian 
wisdom and learning. The two obelisks were sub- 
sequently re-erected at Alexandria by Rameses II, 
and are popularly known as Cleopatra's Needles. 

The one in Paris — the famous obelisk of Luxor — 
was brought to France from Egypt in 1831 and 
erected a little later in the Place de la Concorde, a 
beautiful public square which connects the Gardens 
of the Tuileries with the Champs Elysees. This 
monolith is seventy-three feet high and is com- 
pletely covered with hieroglyphics. On the site 
where it now stands formerly stood the guillotine 
on which Louis XVI and his queen, Marie Antoi- 
nette, Robespierre, and many unfortunate victims of 
the French Revolution bared their necks to the 
stroke of the executioner. 



264 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

I do not know the history of the obelisk in the 
Gardens of Schonbrunn. 

The use of obelisks in Egypt is as old as the art 
of the country, in whose expression they, no doubt, 
had important place. It is believed that at one time 
they were objects of worship. To me there is 
something about these towering shafts of stone that 
is almost uncanny. Veiled in the obscuring mists 
of ages; pervaded by an atmosphere of unbroken 
silence; voicing their mute legends in a language 
no one can understand, they are veritably closed 
books — records, perchance, of the wisdom, learning, 
progress, hopes, fears and dreams of a civilization 
that was old when celestial choirs chanted their 
anthems of "Peace on Earth" above Judean hills, 
and Kings of the East followed the Bethlehem Star 
to the place where the young Child lay. 

Yes, they are closed books — a tale that is told. 
Why break their seals today? Their secrets are 
their own. 

One thing that impressed me very forcibly as we 
moved about the thoroughfares of London was the 
carefulness and precision with which the street traf- 
fic is conducted. Automobiles do not go tearing 
and "honking" pell-mell through the streets, giving 
pedestrians their choice of getting out of the way 
quick or being run over, but are subject to that uni- 
versal law of order which characterizes the city at 
large. In this connection I compared London with 
some of our American cities, and was informed by 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

our guide that all travel and traffic are regulated 
by strict rules, any violation of which sends the cul- 
prit home by way of the police court. It is wonder- 
ful how successfully this discipline is maintained, 
and what a sense of safety and comfort it afforded us 
as we threaded our way through a maze of vehicles 
in some of the congested districts of London. 

While we were in Hyde Park we paid a brief 
visit to the Dog Cemetery which occupies a little 
nook near Victoria Gate. Several hundred tiny 
mounds, covered with flowers, mark the resting- 
place of these treasured household pets. This mini- 
ature cemetery is kept in perfect order. The head- 
stones, which bear many quaint and tender inscrip- 
tions, are, as a rule, of uniform size, though there are 
among them one Ionic cross and a broken column. 

As I strolled along the narrow paths between the 
graves, and read some of the loving tributes en- 
graved on the headstones, I did not envy the dogs, 
nor did I criticize their erstwhile owners. But my 
heart did go out to the multitudes of heart-hungry 
little children, little withered buds of humanity that 
would unfold and blossom as a rose under the loving 
care bestowed on these tiny canines. I plucked a 
bit of evergreen and bought a lot of post-cards of 
the place, lest I should forget what an important 
personage his English dogship is. 

Our afternoon drive afforded us views of many 
fine monuments, notably The Albert Memorial, 
Hyde Park ; Wellington Statue, Hyde Park ; Guards 

266 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

Memorial, Pall Mall; Cleopatra's Needle, Thames 
Embankment; Nelson Column, Trafalgar Square, 
and the Crimean Monument, Westminster. 

We saw the homes of Charles Dickens, Charles 
Reade, the Rothschilds, and other celebrities. Nor 
must I forget to state that we saw the "Old Curi- 
osity Shop," made famous by Dickens. In an 
instant, horses were brought to a standstill and a 
battery of cameras in the hands of our embassy were 
leveled at it and films recorded for later develop- 
ment. 

Our sight-seeing for the day ended at Westmin- 
ster Abbey. Here we spent an hour or two wander- 
ing from chapel to chapel, each one fraught with ex- 
ceeding interest. 

We stood at the tombs and rested our hands upon 
the sculptured images of kings and queens with 
whom history has made us familiar, and we felt im- 
pressed anew with the sentiments inspired toward 
them by such history. 

As I lingered at the tomb of Mary, Queen of 
Scots, and looked upon her beautiful image chis- 
eled in pure white marble, I recalled her eventful 
life, her tragic death, and a great wave of pity swept 
over me. 

Her fair head once pressed by a crown with many 
thorns, now seems to rest softly on an embroidered 
cushion of marble; her hands are raised in prayer, 
her face is tranquil and sweet. I love to think that 
she has worked out of the fateful web of destiny 

267 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

which enmeshed her young soul and destroyed her 
beautiful body; and to feel that she has found that 
"peace which passeth understanding," which must 
come sometime, somewhere, to all earth's weary 
ones. 

At her feet crouches the Scottish Lion, and all 
about her are the emblems of royalty. 

A similar memorial is that of Queen Elizabeth, 
the good "Queen Bess" of history. But I did not 
feel that appealing sense of sympathy, that touch of 
human interest that held me at the side of Mary, 
Queen of Scots. The tombs of these once hostile 
queens are in different aisles of the abbey. Both 
monuments were erected by King James I of Eng- 
land. 

Here, too, we found, at last, the tomb of a cru- 
sader, for which Miss Bernhard, Ambassador from 
Pennsylvania, had been looking in all the cathedrals 
of Europe. Crusaders are always buried with their 
feet crossed, therefore we recognized this sculpture 
immediately. The figure was wrought in bronze, 
showing the full military trapping, even to the high 
boots and spurs, of "ye gallant knights of old." 

Of course, we did not forget the Poet's Corner, 
over which a great rose window sheds its colorful 
light. This corner is crowded with monuments, 
busts and statues, many of them memorials of 
poets not buried in the abbey nor connected in any 
way with its history. 

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WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

We felt real joy in seeing thus honored the great 
poets whose inspiring songs have helped us to be- 
hold the vision of higher things — Shakespeare, 
Browning, Tennyson, Milton, Spenser, Scott, Burns, 
and our own beloved Longfellow. As I looked on 
the bust of the last mentioned I could fancy he is 
singing still his beautiful "Psalm of Life" : 

"Life is real, life is earnest, 
And the grave is not its goal; 

Dust thou art, to dust returnest, 
Was not written of the soul." 

The old abbey, grey and ivy-grown, teems with 
historic interest. In its stately halls are crowned 
the kings and queens of England, and in its silent 
crypts many of them rest in their last repose. 

Close to Westminster Abbey stands the House of 
Parliament. We had hoped to visit this great capi- 
tol building and get a glimpse of the House of Lords 
and the House of Commons, but inasmuch as the 
spirit of militancy was at this time manifesting itself 
so aggressively the edict had gone forth from the 
powers that be, declaring the House of Parliament 
closed to all women. 

We had nothing in our possession that looked 
anything like a bomb — in fact, none of us would 
know one if we saw it. But it was at least a novel 
sensation to feel that Englishmen were afraid of 
us, as I am sure we have never been able to inspire 
our own countrymen with any overwhelming sense 
of fear. 



269 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

We had, however, a glorious afternoon which was 
drawing to a close as we left the abbey, entered our 
carriages and returned to the hotel. 

There was in each city we visited a certain 
amount of sight-seeing arranged for us under the 
direction of a special guide. This did not, by any 
means, include all we saw. Many of us had trav- 
eled extensively, were not at all timid, and in true 
American fashion went wherever our inclinations 
led us. 

These "in between times" gave us opportunity to 
visit the shops and to entertain and enjoy ourselves 
in our own individual way. We were busy most of 
the time. 

As a special social courtesy, a delightful recep- 
tion was tendered us by Mr. and Mrs. Singh, 
both literary persons of note. Mr. Singh is an East 
Indian, Mrs. Singh an Englishwoman. They had 
called on us at the Grafton soon after our arrival in 
London. They knew of the Woman's Republic, and 
expressed deep interest in the purpose of our mis- 
sion abroad. Tuesday morning, while we were still 
at breakfast, I received a wire from them extending 
their cordial invitation to all the ambassadors to 
spend a few hours in their home the next afternoon. 

We were royally entertained. It was "a feast of 
reason and a flow of soul." It was not, however, the 
kind of intellectual feast that "puts out the kitchen 
fire," for we were served a perfectly delicious little 
spread, and, while I am quite sure we drank only 

270 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

tea, there were ripples of mirth and showers of 
repartee brilliant enough to suggest a more spark- 
ling beverage. 

The brief time spent in the hospitable home of 
these clever literary folk, who know so well how 
to mingle their serious work with wholesome pleas- 
ure, was one of the bright experiences of our jour- 
ney which we have tucked away with our happy 
memories. 

Thursday was our last day in London. We spent 
the forenoon in shopping for, of course, we wanted 
to get rid of all our English money. In this con- 
nection I will say that a wide-awake purveyor of 
Irish laces, resident in the Grafton hotel, assisted 
us very materially in not only relieving us of our 
surplus English coin, but in making serious inroads 
into our remaining stock of United States currency 
as well. She was a typical daughter of the Emerald 
Isle. Her speech indicated that she had kissed the 
Blarney Stone more than once. 

The exchange of currency was one of the prob- 
lems that had met us at every frontier crossing, a 
problem not without its amusing features. Mrs. 
Elizabeth M. Ridley, Ambassador from Maine, has 
given such a graphic account of our experiences 
along that line that I am going to let her tell the 
story of foreign coins. This is the way she puts it : 

"In every phase of life, the ludicrous side exists. 
This fact was fully substantiated by the members of 
the Woman's Republic party in the use of foreign 

271 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

moneys while touring Europe. Upon landing on 
foreign soil it became necessary to cash money or- 
ders and letters of credit immediately, and learn 
the use of different coins. 

"At Berlin, our first stopping place, we changed 
our money into marks and pfennige and then arith- 
metical problems began to loom up before us; not 
because of lack of knowledge of German coins, but 
a credit system was established amongst the mem- 
bers of our party that would outwit the most expert 
accountant in existence. 

"Our next point to visit was Vienna, and as Ger- 
man money is not current in Austria, it was neces- 
sary to exchange marks and pfennige for kronen and 
hellers. To save the rate of exchange all German 
money must be disposed of. At this point the amus- 
ing feature of our trip showed itself. Some wanted 
to lend; others wanted to borrow, and finally, if a 
few coins were left on hand, sweets were purchased 
at the station, or a card to be used later. 

"In Switzerland the coins are francs and centimes 
and in Belgium the same. But alas, the Belgium 
centimes have holes in them, therefore another 
change had to be made. 

"In Italy we found the lira and centisami, copper, 
nickel, silver and gold. Ten dollars of such money 
was a burden and was disposed of at once. 

"Holland proved to be the most unique place of 
all and our purchases were many and varied, from 
the Dutch windmills to the wooden shoes. In order 

272 




MRS. ELIZABETH M. RIDLEY 

Ambassador from Maine 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

to get these we had to have gulden or florin and 
cents, the smallest denomination being one-half 
cent, the value of which is one-fifth of a cent 
in United States money. As the French money 
is current in Italy and similar to the Swiss money 
we had become quite familiar with the francs and 
centimes when we reached Paris. In fact, the gold 
and silver coins in France, Belgium, Switzerland 
and Greece are current in each of these countries. 

"In England we became acquainted with pounds, 
shillings, pence and farthings, and as London was 
the last city in the itinerary of the Woman's Re- 
public party, we made a strenuous effort to dispose 
of all foreign currency, retaining but a few pieces 
for souvenirs of a most delightful trip abroad." 

Thursday afternoon we took reluctant leave of 
the city of London. Our stay there had been de- 
lightful, but our time was up, and at the appointed 
hour we were ready to depart. 

We drove to the railway station, entered one of 
a long train of cars, and were whisked away to 
Southampton. 

Here we said good-bye to our faithful conductor, 
Mr. Solbach, and went aboard the Andania, which 
was lying at the docks ready to receive us. 



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BOOK TWENTY-ONE 

3f amntrarfc Sound 

||SE||jHERE is a vast difference between the way 
Jr^JKJ one feels in boarding a ship outward bound 

— ■ and in boarding a ship homeward bound. 
The first is an ordeal; the last is a real joy. 

This feeling emphasized itself in my own con- 
sciousness at the time of our home-returning. We 
had enjoyed two beautiful months of travel on land 
and sea; each day had been fraught with new ex- 
periences, new pleasures, new delights, ; yet, as we 
went aboard the natty Cunard liner Andania, 
about to leave on her maiden voyage across the 
Atlantic, I was inexpressibly happy. 

Indeed, everybody seemed happy. No sad faces; 
no tears ; so I concluded that all the passengers 
must be visitors returning from a pleasant sum- 
mer's outing, and that the people gathered at South- 
ampton docks were simply "speeding the parting 
guests." 

Soon we slipped out of the harbor, amid the waft- 
ing of adieus from those on shore and, escorted by a 
bevy of white-winged gulls, the Andania turned 
her course toward a far-off port. 

As we skirted along the coast of the beautiful Isle 
of Wight we saw nestled on its emerald bosom one 

274 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

of the royal residences of England — Balmoral Cas- 
tle. It made a pretty picture with its snowy turrets 
and towers, drenched with floods of golden sun- 
light. Later we lounged languidly in our steamer 
chairs captives to the witchery of the moonlit sea. 
But, transcending the charm of moonlight, sun- 
light or starlight was the mystic refrain throbbing 
in every rhythmic swish of the waves and singing 
itself into each glad heart, "Going home; going 
home." 

We were happy and comfortable. The Andania 
was stanch and white and new. As the proud little 
ship set her face resolutely toward an unknown 
shore we felt almost a human tenderness for her, 
and wove about her a halo of sentiment much as 
we might have done about a fair young bride trust- 
ingly leaving her girlhood home. Mystery veils the 
future. Perhaps it is well. 

The art of shipbuilding has reached the last word, 
so to speak. The Andania, while not so imposing 
as some of her older and larger sisters, is a little 
gem of seacraft. To say nothing of the infinite care 
with which she has been constructed as to sea- 
worthiness, she is equipped with every modern 
appliance, including the Marconi wireless apparatus, 
and provides every comfort and luxury of a high- 
class hotel. There are elegant parlors, libraries, 
writing and lounging rooms, showing restful and 
harmonious decorations, and the staterooms are 
spacious and airy. A finely appointed gymnasium 

275 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

offers passengers the means of working off their sur- 
plus energy and keeping trim in spite of the three 
heavy meals spread in the dining-salon every day, 
supplemented by forenoon and afternoon luncheons 
served on deck in the bracing Seabreeze. 

There were games and contests and music and 
dancing. Formalities disappeared like mists before 
the sunshine and the spirit of good cheer and good 
fellowship was all pervasive. 

The log revealed the fact that the Andania was 
making faster speed than she is scheduled to make. 
Like a graceful white swan she skimmed lightly 
over the bounding billows as if intent upon scoring 
a praiseworthy record. 

But destiny did not purpose to let her pass un- 
challenged. She must prove her merit and her mettle 
by a trying test. Her trial came when we were past 
mid-ocean. For three days a dense fog veiled the 
face of the deep. The Andania could only drift, 
with her fog horns blowing almost unceasingly. 
The icy chill in the stiff seawind, as well as the 
wireless, told us we were near a fleet of icebergs 
drifting silently down the east coast of New Found- 
land. There was much anxiety among the pas- 
sengers. Some of the ladies were afraid to undress 
and retire. The husky voice of the siren was heard 
every moment. The captain remained at his post 
day and night. There was a tenseness in the very 
atmosphere, and superstitious ones related ominous 

276 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

"signs" which were marking our voyage, while ref- 
erences to the "Titanic" disaster found all too fre- 
quent expression. 

At the end of the third day, after a terrific rain, 
the fog suddenly lifted and there, off the west, float- 
ed an immense iceberg looking like snow-crowned 
Pike's Peak — silent, majestic, awful! 

But the sun going down in a blaze of glory, tossed 
a highway of gold across the sea from the far-off 
horizon's rim to the very decks of the sorely-tried 
Andania. We gazed on the inspiring sight and, 
remembering the rainbow of promise set in the 
heavens ages ago, we were comforted. 

We rounded Cape Race and entered the Gulf of 
St. Lawrence 'neath balmy skies. 

It was our last night out. We were in port at the 
quaint old city of Quebec, where many homeseekers 
had just landed — men, women and children, coming 
from the congested countries of the Old World to 
pitch their tent in the broad and fertile plains of 
Canada. As we watched them file out from the 
steerage, laden with bundles and baskets and babies, 
we silently wished that they might not only make 
the virgin fields of Canada blossom as a rose, but 
that they might find what they were evidently seek- 
ing — prosperity, contentment and home! 

The next morning — Sunday — found us sailing up 
the island-dotted St. Lawrence River. What a 
beautiful stream it is, fringed and bordered with 
gay, wild flowers, indigenous to that locality ! 

277 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

We had duly passed inspection of the ship's 
physician, our luggage was packed and strapped, 
and we were ready to go ashore. We spent the final 
hours drinking in the charm of earth and air and 
sky from the circling rail of the steamer's deck. The 
warm kiss of the sun, the soft whisper of the 
breeze, the dimpling ripples of the river, all seemed 
to breathe the same sweet story : "Almost home, 
almost home." 

Yes, we were nearing the end of our voyage and, 
notwithstanding delays and dangers of fogs and ice- 
bergs, we were reaching port on schedule time. 

As I review the journey from Southampton to 
Montreal and consider it in all of its phases, I feel 
a sense of personal pride in the stanch little ship 
with her gallant officers and crew, in appreciation 
of which I offer the following tribute : 

ANDANIA. 

The proud Andania set her sails 

For maiden trip across the sea; 
Unmindful of its biting gales, 

Undaunted bv its mystery. 
Like honor-maids, attending bride, 

The white seagulls, in airy train, 
A-crooning hovered at her side 

To cheer her o'er the trackless main. 

Old Ocean sunny billows spread, 

In crested blue her keel to greet; 
The moon, full-orbed, hung overhead, 

And balmy breezes whispered sweet. 
All nature most propitious seemed — 

A-tune with wind, and wave, and sea, 
And none of lurking dangers dreamed 

To tempt the ship so cruelly. 

278 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 



But out from secret hiding place 

The sullen fog its gauze unrolled, 
And veiled the fair Andania's face. 

And wrapped the sea with blinding fold. 
Pale, phantom ships, in icy fleet, 

Maneuvered close about her track; 
To friendly signals sent to greet, 

The silence, only, answered back. 

Day after day the pall was spread, 

Night after night the danger lurked, 
But steady on her way she sped — 

For not a man his duty shirked! 
Three days and nights, ignoring sleep, 

The Captain stood, with guiding hand, 
And braved the terrors of the deep — 

Nor once forgot his great command! 

The fog dissolved, for Nature wept, 

In mood capricious to behold, 
The veil of gloom away she swept, 

And paved the sea with path of gold! 
Through stress and storm the tempted ship 

Sailed into port unscathed and free, 
Triumphant on her maiden trip — 

Andania, mistress of the sea! 

We reached Montreal before noon, July twenty- 
seventh. We were met at the landing by a repre- 
sentative of the Cook Agency, who brought us our 
mail and who, in conjunction with our worthy 
treasurer, Mrs. Frint, looked after us generally. 
Soon matters pertaining to baggage, and transpor- 
tation were arranged and we entered carriages and 
were conveyed to the Queen's Hotel, which hostelry 
catered to our temporal wants in a most satisfactory 
way. 

Few cities, at home or abroad, are more inter- 
esting than Montreal. It was here we disbanded 

279 



WOMEN AMBASSADORS ABROAD 

for our respective homes. A large contingent of 
the embassy, however, remained a day or two to 
get a brief glimpse of the Canadian metropolis. 
There is much to see, but I had visited the city more 
than once, had seen its great cathedrals, its won- 
derful bank, its historic places and had viewed it 
and its environs from the highest tower of the Notre 
Dame ; and as there were letters and telegrams urg- 
ing me to hasten homeward, I left Sunday night 
on a fast train for St. Louis. 

It was a glorious trip, filled to the brim with the 
very joy of living. I am sure, therefore, that I voice 
the sentiment of each and every member of our 
embassy when I say: 

"This journey is written in memory with a sun- 
beam." 



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280 



